The End At The Beginning
by Slywyn
Summary: A tale of a Dragon and an Outcast, and what it means to face the fate delivered to you. A tale of the Cycle without end, and how the struggles of the Arisen, the Pawn Legion, and the Dragon all conspire to bring Gransys full circle again and again.
1. A Beginning, and a Harbinger

It was a day much like any other day in the town of Cassardis, in the far Southeastern corner of the land of Gransys. Fishing, wagons leaving town bringing supplies to Gran Soren and beyond, children playing in the streets. A soft, salty sea breeze blew in over the beach where fish sat drying in the sun after they'd been cleaned and gutted at the hands of skilled fishermen and women, carrying their unique scent through the town. Soldiers marched in through the gate, a welcome sight to many within the town after so many of their numbers had gone out the same way to never return, taken by monsters or stationed by the Duke far away from their peaceful home.

Talk of the Dragon's return had reached even this sleepy fishing town, driving many to sign up for the Enlistment Corps, heading off to the Encampment located a few hours North down the road from Cassardis. The merchants appreciated the recruits, because they scared away the Goblins and wolves that often roamed the route between the fishing town and the capital, Gran Soren. The Duke's seers had foretold that the scaled menace would be back within months, and Duke Edmund had immediately set in place new protections and recruitment drives so that the land wouldn't be caught unawares like they had so many years ago, before he'd risen to the Throne. They'd even heard that representatives from other countries had ventured to the Capital to renew their vows of allegiance against the Dragon's threat.

This was the day that Katrine found herself in after she spent the morning catching fish off the dock, and she'd already cleaned and set her meager offerings out to dry. She was saving up for a boat of her own one day, to join the fleets that left one morning and returned the next, taking advantage of the calm seas and rich fisheries that had prompted Cassardis to be built up in the first place. She'd come to the town much the same way, adrift on what had appeared to be the lifeboat of a much larger ship, cradled in the arms of a dead elf. She'd grown up distant from many of the townfolk as a result, and had taken to hiding her long ears within her hair or a thin cloth hat that her friend Quina had made for her.

The way it'd been explained to her by Adaro, the man who'd raised her and his own daughter Quina after she'd been found and the mayor of the fishing village, she was looked down on and considered 'different' by many of the villagers for being an elf. They hadn't been heard of in many years, and very few even knew where they came from or what part of the world they lived in. She was seen as an oddity, but aside from a scholar from Gran Soren who'd come to see her when she was very young, to study her and learn what he could about elves, she'd been left alone and for the most part forgotten. That was just fine with her, as she preferred to blend in and keep to herself without all the extra attention from being different.

She spotted Quina across the little Square near the gate and offered her friend a wave. Despite their difference in race, they'd grown up practically as sisters under Adaro's care, and Katrine was happy to call the man Father, and Quina sister. She didn't remember her own family regardless, and they didn't know if the elf she'd washed up with had been a relative or someone just entrusted with her care. Quina skipped over to her with a smile, her long hair bouncing atop her head and down her back with her movements, full and long as ever. Katrine's hair had never managed to grow very long, her snow-white locks constantly damaged by the sea and salt thanks to spending most of the last few years in and around the ocean. She kept it in a ponytail at the back of her head, her ears tucked safely away within her hair and covered by a headband besides. She still stood out a little bit thanks to her 'refined' features compared to the more ruddy build and complexion of the natives of Cassardis, as well as being nearly a foot taller than most of them, but she was just as strongly built as anyone else thanks to her long hours working at her nets and fishing poles.

"Sister! The Duke's men are here... What do you think of that?", Quina questioned as she arrived at Katrine's side and turned to face the men standing near the gate. One of them appeared to be readying some kind of scroll, likely an announcement or speech.

"Probably just more recruiters." Katrine shrugged her shoulders. She started to turn away when the men began to speak, drawing her attention back to them as she stood beside her adopted sister.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The prophets 'ave spoken friends! The Dragon's return is nigh!" One of the soldiers stood ahead of the others, a somewhat squat man with close-cropped hair, as he recited what was likely a prepared speech. Katrine glanced to the side at Quina and shrugged once more, while Quina gently gripped the sleeve of her sister's frock.

"Oh Kat... that means that awful beast will be here soon..."

The man continued, his voice carrying across the now-silent square. "Join the hon'rable Duke's ranks and help us be rid o' the fell beast! The day's come to lay down rod and reel and take up the sword!"

As he moved to continue, Kat felt more than she heard a dull 'thump' in the air, like a sheet being flapped near her face, or the crack of a sail that had caught the wind, but much, much larger. It was almost enough to force her forward a step, and she'd hardly turned to see what had caused it before the ground rumbled, and water splashed across the gathered townsfolk as something very, very large collided with the ocean just outside of town. She barely had time to react as a large piece of stonework from the remains of the temple or castle that had sunk into the sea just off the beach crashed into a building across from the square, and she shoved Quina to the side to avoid rubble as she herself dove to dodge the flying stones and chunks of brick.

"It's the Dragon!" rang the cries of the townsfolk, and something large and red rose into the air, wingbeats like drums on her sensitive ears as the large Wyrm took to the air again. Kat's mouth fell open as she stared, openly, as the beast raised it's head and roared, the sound like a guttural growling and clawing at her very soul. Deep, masculine, and full of malice. It slammed back into the ocean and Kat had to throw herself to the side again to avoid a piece of dock flung by his landing, feeling more seawater sprinkle across her back as she pushed herself up from the ground. The soldiers turned and ran, and she couldn't blame them. Three of them against a reptile the size of Cassardis itself? One of them dropped his sword in fright as they fled out the open gate, no doubt toward the Encampment to bring reinforcements. But they'd be long dead before then... unless...

The sword wasn't far out of reach, and something that Adaro had once told her brought itself unbidden to her thoughts.

 _As the leader of this town, sometimes I have to do aught what might seem crazy or stupid. But done it must be._

What the town needed right now was a protector. Someone to distract the dragon. Maybe she could get it to chase her out of town... she'd always been light on her feet. Her hand reached out and gripped at the sword, pulling it toward her through the dirt and sand of the Square. Someone had to do it, even if it meant she'd never be able to buy that boat after all...

As everyone around her ran this way and that, either out of the gates or to their homes to gather their belongings, Katrine ran the opposite direction, blade in hand. She saw Quina comforting a crying child as she passed, and she set her jaw as she ran toward the beach. She was almost knocked from her feet again as the dragon landed once more, this time on the beach just outside of town. Kat continued running, even as she saw the beast's maw begin to glow, flames flickering at the edge of his mouth. She ran even as he spat flames at villagers unlucky enough to have been caught on the beach, trying to make their way back into town, and roasted them where they stood, turning them to ash or sending charred corpses flying across the sand if they'd just been caught in the wash.

Kat felt heat wash across her face even from this far away, but still she ran, feet pounding across the dirt of the path through town, down the stone of the stairs, and finally across the sand of the beach as she brought herself face to face with the massive Wyrm. She liked to think she stood an imposing or at the very least distracting figure- Seven feet tall, muscular from long hours at work, a large scar running across her face from her left temple to her right cheek, a souvenir of an incident at the docks with a fishing knife and a disgruntled fisherman- but she knew that to a dragon she was just another morsel to be burned, clawed, or eaten.

The Dragon turned to her, flame spent for the moment, scaled beast staring down scared and trembling elf. She clutched the weapon tighter, feeling sand against the skin of her palm and her fingers, giving her a tighter grip. She'd never held a sword in her life, but she'd watched the men going away to join the Corps as they practiced and she at least knew what using a sword looked like. He raised a clawed paw, his digits splaying as if showing off, and she heard a growl deep in his throat.

She'd swing a few times, she'd get his attention, and then she'd run. That's all she'd need to do, just to get him out of town. She could run South toward Starfall Bay, buy the town enough time to try to mount a defense or evacuate. She'd die in the effort, especially once he built up his flame again, but she'd at least give her life for something that mattered, saving lives. That was enough to give her the resolve to keep her feet, and keep from running away back into the town.

His great paw swung down, claws gleaming in the afternoon sun, and she breathed in, letting her left leg relax to lower her. She felt sand meet her knee and she tucked and rolled, actually feeling scale brush against the back of her burlap frock, nearly tearing it away from her torso. She flailed with the blade as best as she could, and felt it hit something, the vibrations ringing through her hand and nearly tearing the blade away from her as she pushed herself back to her feet, sand raining around her as her face lifted to stare defiantly at the dragon. He almost looked surprised.

The Dragon's body twitched slightly as he raised his opposite paw, just enough to cause her to suspect... and sure enough, as she turned her head she saw his tail swinging around. It was spiked at the end, a large spaded tip that tapered before fattening out again toward his body. The thinnest part was what traveled toward her now, and she crouched low, feeling the muscles in her legs tighten as she prepared to jump. She lept into the air, barely clearing his tail by pulling her legs up against her body. It was as she started back down that she looked toward him again, and realized she'd done exactly as he wanted.

Her eyes went wide as her vision was filled with red scales, and all she could do was watch as the paw traveled toward her, barely able to bring the sword tip to point the correct direction before it slammed into her. She was amazed to find that she wasn't turned into paste immediately by the blow, the sword torn from her hand as she was sent sailing, her face having slammed into the scales of the dragon's paw along with nearly every other part of her body, dwarfed by his sheer size. She felt wet and sand against her back as she slammed into the beach again in the waves lapping against the shore, her vision whited out by pain and shock, barely able to feel the sea lapping against her.

"So this is how I die", she thought to herself through the cacophony of pain. "At the hand of a Dragon..."

She barely managed to lift her head, watching as the dragon lifted his paw, the sword she'd been holding only moments before lodged in his scales. He flexed his hand, and the sword slipped free and fell away. It'd only been wedged into his scales, she hadn't even managed to pierce his hide. She let her head fall back with a quiet laugh. She couldn't even manage to harm him. Her dreams of heroics died as quickly as they'd began as she simply laid her head back, resigning herself to her fate as she set her head back into the surf lapping at the shore.

Kat felt thuds as the dragon moved, expecting him to walk away and continue his attack upon the village, leaving her to die of her surely fatal injuries. She could feel things grinding as she moved, sharp pain in her ribs and one leg, bones almost certainly broken... Cue her surprise as the dragon stared down at her, eyes nearly as red as his scales, earfins twitching at either side of his head with something that seemed very much like curiosity. Why had he stayed his attack upon the village for her? Why hadn't he simply squashed her where she lay, or hit her hard enough to kill her outright?

She heard his voice rumbling deep within his chest as his mouth moved, speaking a language she didn't understand. But... somehow, she knew their meaning despite her lack of comprehension of the language itself.

 _I will show you the truth of reality. I will tell you about God. I am now your connection to life, and my name is Grigori. I am now your shell. I will devour your heart, and the struggle will begin._

Her connection? Shell? Devour her heart? She didn't like the sound of any of it, and she began to try to force her battered body to work, to find her feet again, even as she watched his clawed paw extend toward her, one long nail ahead of the rest, lowering itself down, down...

She grit her teeth as the claw drew ever closer, expecting it to pierce her chest and end her life... The claw breeched skin and **something** within her surged, like an awakening from a sleep she'd never realized. Her entire body jolted as she experienced the worst pain she'd ever felt in her life, the injury to her face barely held a candle to the deep-seated searing ache that seemed to suffuse every fiber of her being. She felt herself lift nearly two feet into the air before she slammed back down into the water and sand with a gout of blood.

Kat hardly believed her eyes even as her vision faded, her mind rejecting the scene before her as she watched her heart be pulled free of her chest on the end of the dragon's claw, watched as it was raised to his mouth and his tongue extended, her heart glowing with a vivid red as it floated between his lips. Her sight grew dark as the dragon seemed to watch her for a moment before turning away to continue the destruction of her city, and she let the welcoming nothingness of unconsciousness take her as she felt the life ebb from her body.

One final thought sounded through her mind before she felt nothing more.

 _I can't even die properly..._

* * *

"Help me! She's still alive!"

Quina? That couldn't be right, could it? Katrine's thoughts felt wild, disjointed, disconnected. She could feel, distantly, as her body was moved, surf lapping at her ankles before sand ran across her heels. One of her shoes had come free. That felt like an amusing thing to note, when an ache ran through her to her deepest core, the pain finding her even here in her constructed refuge. They should leave her there, on the beach. She wouldn't live long, not without a heart, and surely there were others they could save...

How did Quina live? The Dragon had continued his rampage through the village. Why were they here? Shouldn't they be on their way to Gran Soren by now? To report the destruction of Cassardis? The Duke would want to find new supplies of meat for his troops, since they wouldn't be able to send more fish after the town ceased to exist... She felt cobblestones against the backs of her feet. They didn't even feel particularly hot. Had the fires died? Was she too burnt to feel the flames? She wondered what the ruined city looked like now that the Dragon was done with it. She faded away again as she felt something smack against the back of her hand as she was dragged, even that small bit of pain enough to push her back down into the darkness that shielded her from the worst of it.

When she awoke again it was somewhere dark and cold, and she forced herself fully awake, forced her mind back into the body she'd very nearly abandoned completely. She vaguely remembered Quina, tending to her wounds and setting bone, wrapping her chest and stomach in bandages to hold broken ribs in place. When she pushed herself up on her elbows, she did so gingerly, expecting searing, stabbing pain... and found nothing instead. Nothing but a dull ache in her chest, where her- Kat looked down, between her breasts, and that's when she saw it. A large, ugly scar crossed her skin where the dragon's claw had pierced her and rent her chest open to steal her heart. How was she still alive? She placed a hand upon her chest, feeling for a heartbeat... and her blood ran cold as she realized there was nothing.

 _How am I alive?_

The question filled her mind as she pulled the tatters of her shirt more tightly closed around her chest, hiding the exposed skin behind torn, bloodied cloth. As her fist, clutching the remains of her shirt, brushed across her scar, she felt a presence force itself into her mind, oily and squirming.

 _"If you would face me-"_

She jolted back, her hand leaving her chest, and the presence vanished as quickly as it'd come. She gasped for breath, staring around the room in shock and fear. She recognized that voice, the Dragon's deep, gravely tones were not so easy to forget. When she realized she was alone, she looked back down to the scar which had begun to glow for just a moment as the dragon's voice had sounded. He'd said that he was her connection... she lowered her hand to the scar again, and as soon as the skin of her hand brushed the gnarled surface of her chest, she heard him again.

 _"Take up arms, newly Arisen."_

The presence vanished again, and the renewed glow upon her chest died just as quickly. She looked around the room, wondering what 'arms' he'd meant, until she spotted the old equipment that the recruits had used to train. That meant she was in Adaro's house, probably brought here by Quina... she wondered what state the rest of the village was in. She pushed herself to her feet, and the dragon's voice sprang unbidden to her mind again, her scar glowing gently as he spoke.

 _"Take up arms, Arisen... My kind do not fear the Toothless."_

That settled it, then... the challenge had been made. Something within her awoke as surely as the power she'd felt coursing through her had when the dragon had taken her heart. A sense of purpose, a drive to do something better with her new life than she'd intended before. She'd been given a second lease on life when everyone else only got one, she had to do something better with it, something more important than fishing...

Kat strode quickly to the shelf and drawers where they kept the training equipment. The big swords were blunted, that wouldn't do... she liked moving fast, a shield would just slow her down... She took two daggers, still somewhat sharp and likely never used for training, and a bow with several arrows. She could get more from Astella's, she carried all sorts of things that travelers through Cassardis needed for their own protection or that their guards had wanted. Before she began to equip herself, she took a fresh shirt from a drawer, likely something Adaro kept around in case one of the men got hurt during training and needed a replacement that wasn't covered in blood, and left her own tattered cloth behind.

She smiled as she strapped the harness for the daggers around her waist and seated the blades within it, wrapped the quiver for the arrows around her chest and clipped the bow into the little clasp at the side of the quiver. She felt good, better than she had any right to. She didn't feel like her ribs were broken, her leg felt healed... how long had she been unconscious? It hadn't seemed like very long, but ribs didn't heal that quickly...

The elf moved to the door, but pulled up short as she heard talking through the curtain. Maybe they hadn't heard her get up yet... She glanced back into the darkened room as one of the other patients shifted. She hadn't even realized they were there, so caught up in her own visions of grandeur and purpose... she recognized one of them, one of the fishermen who'd been in the square. Maybe he'd been struck by debris, it was likely that he was here under Quina's care. She always had a way with herbs and healing potions and poultices, after all. Her head twitched back as the people beyond the curtain began to talk again, and she leaned her head against the wall to listen.

"You say it's left a glowing scar?" That was Adaro, her adoptive father, speaking. He was also the Chieftain of this village, and the room they were using as a makeshift hospital was used as the meeting room when the people of the village needed to gather in one place, usually at the beginning and middle of the year when the big shipments of dried fish went out to the capital...

"Yes." Quina began, affirming what Kat had thought about who was acting as healer... there were other women in the village who knew more, but she was surely the most talented, and with all the injured there had to be they were likely spread thin caring for the wounded... "The wounds have all closed and healed, and it seems the worst has passed, but... her heart... lies silent!"

Kat's jaw pulled a little tighter as her hand found the scar beneath the cloth of her shirt, and she again heard the dragon's voice, though it was quieter and weaker than before. _"If you would face me..."_

She looked back up as the two of them continued speaking, listening in on the conversation. It seemed Quina was just as stumped as she was that her injuries, extensive as they were, had healed seemingly so quickly, if the other two patients here weren't even up and about yet...

"You're sure o' this?"

"Yes!" Kat could even hear Quina's nod, her hair rustling against the back of her shirt.

"Ill magick! The work of some curse!" She could hear the pain in Adaro's voice, he'd likely been worried that he was going to lose her to the dragon, and he very nearly did, and might even still... "The whole world's already gone made for fear o' this dragon... won't no good come o' this!"

Her face fell slightly as she listened to his words, and already she felt like a child getting ready to run away from home, what with her thoughts of adventure. She'd never even left Cassardis, and yet... would her life ever be her own again, if she did not at least attempt to face The Dragon, Grigori? Could she live her life with that weight hanging above her head...?

Adaro's voice interrupted her thoughts again. "I must go see to the others, Quina. Tell me if aught changes here." He hesitated for a moment, before she heard him speak again. "Tell no one o' the scar, or the state of her heart. She's already an outcast, we won't add to it."

"Alright." She heard Quina nod again, and she stepped out of her hiding space and pushed through the curtain as she heard Adaro open the door and leave, closing it behind him.

Quina stopped short as she turned to head back into the makeshift infirmary, a quiet gasp leaving her lips as a hand lifted to her face, watching as Katrine simply stared, waiting to see which of them would break the silence first.

As it happened, it was Quina who spoke first, her voice unsure. "Sister... you awaken. I thought..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "How are your injuries? I tried to do aught for them, but I am unsure of how they're healing. You seem able to walk without pain..."

"Just a dull ache in..." Kat lifted her hand to her chest, and Quina nodded. They wouldn't have to speak more of it. "My leg and ribs feel fine. Aside from a bit of bruising I think I'll be alright, you certainly know your way around a healer's work, Quina.", Kat offered with a smile.

Quina laughed quietly, letting her hand fall away from her chest. "It is not all my doing, sis. You seem to heal faster than anyone I've ever seen. Barely a day since the attack, and-"

"Only a day!?" Katrine couldn't believe it. Only a day had passed since the dragon's attack, and she was already up and walking again?

"That's right, sis. I couldn't believe it myself, but surely here you are standing before me, with naught to show of your injuries but some bruises, and even those have faded since this morning. Whatever..." She gestured toward Kat's chest, and the elf knew what she meant without her having to state it. "That Dragon did..."

"What happened to him after he... well, after he attacked me." She didn't want to tell Quina of what exactly had happened, the Dragon's speech, her heart stolen from her chest... Perhaps it was best she didn't know, she didn't want to give her adoptive sister nightmares after all. "How is the village? Is it damaged too badly?"

"Actually..." Quina looked away, toward a window near the door. "After you went to him, I came to the beach as quickly as I could. By the time I arrived he was already gone, winging his way Northeast. We fear for the Capital, but there is nothing we can do about it now."

"But none of that makes any sense..." Kat ran her hand through her hair, idly realizing she was missing her headband, but showing off her ears was the least of her worries at the moment. "Why would he just leave? He attacked the city, did almost no damage save for a building hit by flying stones and crushing part of the docks, only killed a few people, hurt me... what is the purpose in it all?"

Quina shrugged. "I'm sorry, sis, but I don't know. Perhaps Father would know more... they set up a larger infirmary for the injured in the ruins of the building the dragon hit. It was the abandoned one on the edge of the square, he's gone there to talk to the healers."

Kat nodded, and stepped past Quina to head out the door, but she was stopped by her sister's hand on her arm.

"Why the weapons? What are you doing? Are you leaving?"

Kat could hear the worry and pain in her voice, but... "Yes. I think. I... just have this feeling, this hunch... that I have to do something." She wouldn't tell Quina what, she didn't know that the elf planned to challenge the dragon that had so recently swatted her like a harmless gnat. She wasn't even sure why she wanted to do it herself, in truth, she only knew that she **had** to. She didn't think she could live with herself, otherwise... "I have to leave. I don't know to where, yet, but..." She looked to Quina, and smiled as reassuringly as she could. "You'll be safe here, won't you?"

Her sister clutched her hands to her chest and nodded, her lips pursed. "Of course, Kat. I'll be here."

The elf smiled once more, then she stepped to the door and pushed it open, the sunlight of a new morning greeting her as surely as the promise of a new life.


	2. Of Pawns and Flowers

Katrine stepped outside, washed in the early morning sun, and gave her limbs a few experimental stretches and flexes. She still felt good, really good, and she didn't know whether she owed that to the Dragon's magic or Quina's ability with herbs and curatives. Hands placed on the ledge before her, she leaned over, letting her gaze cast out over Cassardis. The town was quiet, sleepy in the early morning, most people resting or recovering after the dragon's attack only yesterday afternoon. Some of the shore still smouldered, the sand turned to glass by the heat of the dragon's flames, and she knew that today there would be funeral services for the few people killed during the Dragon's attack.

It didn't seem like the reinforcements had come, the men either not saying that the town was under attack, or they'd deserted and run as surely as they'd deserted the town. Or, perhaps the Encampment was mustering men as she stood here and waited, there was no way for her to know. She pushed herself back up to standing and away from the wall, then headed down the stairs into town proper. She passed several houses as she walked, dirt and gravel crunching under foot. Despite the sleepiness of the town in the morning, the fishermen that had survived with their boats intact already having left and everyone else not needing to be up quite so early, she could still sense a sort of undercurrent, a thin blanket of tension over the town. Everyone knew they'd only been spared at the whims of the dragon, and the actions of the town Outcast.

She stopped at her house as she made her way down the path, taking one last look at it. She didn't know how long it'd be until she saw these comfortable confines again, and she took a little bit of time to wander around, collecting her coin purse and what few herbs and belongings she'd want to take with her. She grabbed her pack, which hung low on her back, conveniently below her quiver with only a little bit of adjusting the straps to make it comfortable, her coin purse which was lighter than she'd have liked... it'd been hard getting much for the few small fish she managed to catch near the dock, but she hadn't been able to convince anyone to let her sail with them and earn a wage. She sighed as she headed outside, taking her few little first aid supplies she'd managed to stock. They wouldn't do much for big injuries, but they'd help cure what cuts and scrapes she might collect on her trip.

Kat could see some signs of life as she made her way through the town toward the Square, including a woman working in the ruins of the building smashed by the Dragon throwing stonework from the ruin just off the coast. It seemed like an odd place to set up a makeshift hospital, but perhaps it was just the closest open area that wasn't currently inhabited when the initial smoke cleared. They'd set up poles with cloth strung across them to act as shade and cover from rain, giving the place a makeshift roof to replace the one that'd been smashed to bits by a several-ton chunk of rock. She was going to walk past it, until she realized that the woman inside was waving at her and trying to get her attention. "Katrine! Katrine!"

The elf stopped, turning her head toward the woman before slowly walking closer and into the makeshift infirmary. Most people only wanted to speak to her so she could pass on a message to Adaro or Quina, if they spoke to her at all. It bothered her on some level, but she knew it was just because she was different- her size and muscled features didn't particularly help, either- she tended to intimidate most people of the town. She offered the woman the best smile that she could, then stood nearby, watching one of the injured men sleep. "Aught I can help you with, Benita?"

"Yes, Katrine. Do you know where Quina is? I need her help with some herbs..."

Of course she did. Kat's smile froze slightly on her face, though she tried to keep her helpful demeanor. "I know a bit about herbs, I might be able to help you?"

"Oh!" She wrung her hands for a moment thinking, probably weighing whether she wanted Kat's help or not, though she seemed to decide it was urgent enough. "It's... I'd craft dressings for the wounded, had I the makings. If only I'd known."

"No one could have known a dragon would attack, Benita."

The woman nodded, hesitating again, before she continued. "Cos, I need a favor. Can you fetch the flowers I need from outside the village? I need more of the one you see there", she pointed to a small, almost-empty bowl of what appeared to be Sunbright, "and one other sort besides." She pointed to a small bundle of stems, the few remaining flowers appearing to be Moonglow. "The more you can find of either, the better."

Kat nodded, smiling a little wider. People didn't usually call her 'cos', a somewhat-affectionate appellation used for people you actually liked. Usually she was 'elf' or 'Katrine' or 'Kat', or some variation of 'hey, you'. It was nice to be treated at least somewhat normal. She knew that Sunbright grew best during the day, the leaves bright and full of the healing juices they were known best for, and the leaves closed and the juices drained at night. Moonglow did the same thing, just backwards, and was easy to find thanks to the species of butterfly that fluttered around their blossoms drinking nectar at night. She didn't want to wait around for night to fall, however- maybe Aestella had some leaves laying around that she could give to Benita. If worst came to worst she could ask Quina if she had any extras.

Sunbright would be easy to find though, she wouldn't even have to go very far outside of town. A big old tree just outside of the village usually had a few blooms lingering around. She made her way out of the ruin and headed over to Aestella's, the general shop owner here in the city. She needed a few more arrows for her bow, and she'd see if the woman needed any help with anything else before she left town. She didn't imagine she'd be back here for quite a while- she didn't know exactly where she was going to go, but something had to be done about the Dragon and his reign of terror that would start soon. If the old stories were to be believed, Gransys and the surrounding countries had barely managed to survive his last visit, before most people alive today were even born.

She pushed through the door to Aestella's with a smile, offering the shopkeeper a little wave. "Afternoon Aestella. I thought I'd come buy some supplies."

"Oh? Planning on a journey, are you? Most o' my stocks are done for, what with the Dragon's attack and people leaving all night and morning."

"Leaving? I knew some people ran for the hills yesterday, but they're still running?"

"Now that the Dragon's returned proper, most people don't feel safe in a little coastal town like this. Heading for Gran Soren, where the walls will keep them safe." She nodded knowingly.

"I see." Kat pursed her lips a bit, using the pause to look around the woman's shop. "I guess I can't blame them. I'm heading out soon myself, though for different reasons."

"Oh? Have you told Quina yet? She'll be sad to see you gone, that I'm sure of."

"She knows." Kat nodded to herself, letting out a little sigh through her nose. "I just need a few more arrows." She gestured with a thumb over her shoulder, to the nearly-empty quiver on her back. "Do you have any equipment or anything I could look at? I know you said most of it's probably gone, but..."

"Actually..." Aestella tapped her chin, then reached under the counter and pulled out a simple leather barding vest. "It's not much, but most people who were running weren't planning on doing any fighting. You, on the other hand, appear just about ready to take on all of Gransys by yourself!"

Kat couldn't help but let out a little laugh. Aestella had always treated her a little better than most within the village, though she didn't know how much of that was simply keeping your customers happy. "You got me! But before I left, I wanted to ask. Do you have any Moonglow petals left? Benita needs them for some poultices, and I know she's the herbalist and usually handles gathering them, but I thought you might have a couple just in case someone asked while they were here."

Aestella paused for a moment, watching the elf, before she let out a little sigh. "I was saving them for my aches and pains, but I suppose the poultices are a bit more important." She reached under her counter and produced a little package of dried Moonglow leaves. "I won't even charge you for them." She tapped the vest. "Or this." Then she gestured to some arrows bundled on a tabletop. "Or those."

Kat blinked in surprise, her words failing her for a few moments before she could finally ask "Why?"

"I saw you did on the beach yesterday. Running up to that dragon, trying to save a town that barely wanted you to begin with." She walked around her shop as she spoke, gathering the arrows and pushing the vest closer to Kat. "I might have been roasted next if you hadn't stood up to that big monster. I don't know what you did or how, but he left after smashing you into the surf." She offered the elf a smile. "Consider it payment for that. But no big ideas!" She waggled a finger at the stunned elf. "This is the only freebie you'll get out of my shop. And don't tell anyone, they'll think I've gone soft."

Kat nodded, dumbfounded, as she ran her fingers over the leather of the vest, before lifting it and placing it around her shoulders. It was a little small, meant for someone about a foot and a half shorter than she was, but it would do well enough until she could get something more permanent from an Outfitter. She had to think about what she was going to do for money as well, she hardly had any coin to her name... She stowed the arrows within her quiver, thankful that they were at least the same type as the ones already there. She at least knew how to use a bow, unlike the daggers at her hips, having trained a bit hunting rabbits just outside of town. At last she picked up the packet of herbs and smiled at the woman across the counter, inclining her head in a gesture of thanks. "I appreciate it, Aestella. I really do."

The woman nodded in reply, then gently waved her hands in a 'shoo' motion. "Now go on before I go soft and give you something to eat, too. Go, go, Benita needs those herbs."

Katrine smiled as she as summarily pushed out of the woman's store and back into the Square, and made her way toward the gate. She'd probably find Adaro there, talking to one of the few guards stationed in the town full time. He'd probably been helping evacuate, unlike the men who'd simply run at the first sign of trouble when the Dragon attacked. Sure enough, as she approached the gate, she could see Adaro standing near him, and she raised a hand to wave.

Something sprung to life inside of her, drawing a surprised gasp from the elf as the Riftstone, a forgotten relic half-buried under stairs to an upper level of the stable nearby, suddenly brightened with the first light she'd ever seen eminate from it in her life. Lines of magical energy burned from the symbol in the center of the stone out toward the edges, until they met and shot upward toward the peak, where they gathered in a glowing orb. A beam shot from it to a point of air just above Katrine's head, and she stepped back as some kind of swirling grey vortex opened itself in the air, drawing sounds of alarm from all three of them- the elf, the guard, and Adaro. She shot a worried look to the two of them, not understanding what was happening. She didn't have any magic, what had she done?

The Rift widened, a dark light blooming inside of it, a quiet hum sounding from the swirling grey vortex as it disgorged a shape... and then quickly spat two more. They stood slowly, each one staring blankly at the elf before them, who took a step back in surprise and a little bit of fear. One male and two females now stood before her, somehow teleported here through the Riftstone that had lain dormant just inside the gates of Cassardis all these years. She'd asked about it once, when the was younger, being told that it was just a relic, and she'd never thought about it since. And now, this happened right before her eyes...

The three of them raised their hands in unison, showing off the glowing mark on their palm, which was answered by a soft glow beneath her vest. They wouldn't be able to see it, but she could feel it, a gentle warmth that died as their marks faded. A man with short-cropped black hair holding a long bow, much larger than the one she had strapped to her back, daggers that looked much more ornate than hers secured at his hips, and covered in proper leather armor. A woman with vivid violet hair in a long ponytail off the back of her head and what seemed to be the beginnings of a smile on her face, a metal circlet on her head and real metallic armor across her body, holding a shield with a sword on her hip. And in the back, last but not least, a woman under Katrine's height by what seemed like less than a foot, wearing padded cloth with a staff across her back and a thin gold chain wrapped around her head, with long brown hair that fell to her shoulders.

Katrine stared, dumbfounded and completely at a loss for words as the three people now in front of her stood stock still after lowering their hands, as if waiting for orders. She glanced to the side as Adaro approached, staring at him and hoping that he could answer the question she held. Just what the hell had happened?

"Those people..." He stood next to her, watching the three of them. "They're o' the Pawn Legion."

"The what?" Kat finally found her voice again, looking down at him as he stood at her side.

"They come from some unknown place. Just appear, without a warning. They're a strange lot." He sounded about as awed as Kat felt, as she turned back to look at them.

"You don't say..."

"Not human, quite. They look the part sure enough, but they lack the will... the spark that drives us." He gestured to the three of them who continued to stand there quietly. "Follow orders, but not much else."

"So they just... follow others around?", she asked, looking back to the three 'Pawns' who stood before her.

He nodded. "They have no capacity to feel nor act alone, so they live as sellswords. Myrmidons, they're called." He paused for a moment, placing a hand on his chin. "Mm... the Encampment, north of the village... both men and Pawns gather there to face the dragon." He glanced to her weapons and the little bit of armor on her back. "I imagine that's your goal as well."

She offered an apologetic smile. "I was going to tell you, and then... you know, this happened." She gestured with a hand to the three Pawns standing before her.

"I understand, Kat. Naught can happen to someone like happened to you yesterday and not leave them changed afterward. You will do as you feel you must. Remember that there will always be a home for your here in Cassardis, no matter how long you're gone or how far your travels take you away from here." He turned to her with a proud smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd wager a fair number of his kind will be there as well."

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you. Won't you let Quina know where I'm going?"

He nodded, then gestured to the pawns. "Why don't you take them? Might be you learn aught o' why they came to you in the first place."

She smiled, lifting a hand to wipe away a tear that'd come to her eyes unbidden, at the thought of setting out from the only home she'd ever truly known since she was very little. "I'll visit when I can, Father."

He reached up, and she leaned down into his arms, having to crouch slightly so she could place her head on his shoulder. "There, there, dear. I'll be here, same as Quina. You'll have your new friends to protect you on the road." He released her, letting her stand back up to her full height, and gestured toward the gate. "Go on, there are bigger things in your destiny now than a fishing boat."

He stepped away, leaving her with the three Pawns still facing her silently. "So, uh... who are you?", she finally asked, after staring at them for a moment longer.

"This Pawn is Hiei", said the man with the blow, as he bowed low at the waist. "Scellia", stated the woman with the shield, as she too bowed. "And this one is Tyri", stated the mage. All three stood as one, which Kat saw as borderline creepy, that the three of them could move in unison so easily.

"Before leaving, visit the store to make sure you've ample supplies.", stated Hiei matter-of-factly, like a bird reciting lines they'd learned from their owner.

"Already did that." Kat offered a smile, giving the front of her leather vest a little tug to show it off.

"To the encampment!", stated Scellia, her voice as dull as the other one's. They didn't seem to have any range of emotion or drive, and seemed quite content with their status as Katrine's companions.

"This path should see us there", added Tyri, as she moved off toward the gate.

"I have to collect some Sunbright for the healer here before we go there, though." Kat interjected as she moved to follow the three of them as they began to walk out through the gate.

They stopped for a moment, like they were processing what she'd said, before they began to move again. To Katrine, they moved as if they were humans, but when she 'instructed' them, even something like stating what he goal was, it seemed to take them a moment to process what she'd said before they began to move again, as if they were consulting some sort of rulebook for what to do.

Hiei seemed to take the lead, moving off toward the brush on the side of the road. "What of the flower hunt, Master? We musn't keep her waiting." He stated it like it was the most normal thing in the world, leaving Kat at a loss for words yet again.

"Didn't I just tell you that I wanted to go look for the... how did you know it's a her?" She turned toward him for a moment, before Scellia spoke up, like she was trying to distract Kat from her thoughts.

"Pawns are creatures of the Rift, the nexus between worlds."

It certainly worked, as now Kat had more questions than she started with. "Okay. So you're from other worlds? What exactly does that mean?"

"Tis a grand old tree.", stated Tyri, as she stared ahead at the massive oak that usually had the Sunbright flowers hiding beneath it's boughs, near the roots.

"Yes, yes it is." She pursed her lips as she watched the three of them walk ahead of her, her mind positively swimming with questions. "Is that just what you Pawns do? Spout information when prompted? Except when I ask something specific?"

"Goblins ill like fire."

She didn't even know which one had spoken, their voices all sounded the same to her. She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers, as she resigned herself to walk in silence for now until they reached the tree. She knelt at the roots, quickly gathering the blooms of the first Sunbright flower she'd spotted. "Find Sunbright and bring it to me. Once we have a fair bit we can head back to Cassardis and drop them off, and then we can go to the encampment."

She waited a moment, then looked up, and sure enough the three of them stood there for a split second before they each dispersed in a different direction, like it had been pre-planned. She shook her head with another sigh. "What even are Pawns...", she asked herself, confused by the odd and stilted antics of her three new companions. It wasn't long before Scellia returned, holding an entire Sunbright, roots and all, in her hands. Kat pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips as she stared up at the Pawn, who seemed rather pleased with herself. "Yes. That's a Sunbright. I need the petals, and please be careful picking them. Do you need me to show you how?"

Scellia seemed to freeze for a moment in the way that they tended to do when processing things, and then she suddenly dropped to her knees and began picking the blooms from the plant with expert speed and knowledge. Kat stared for a moment, her mouth open in surprise. She didn't think even Quina could pick that well or that quickly. Scellia held out the blooms after a moment, not even a single one damaged. "That's... yes. Uh." Kat thought for a moment about how to handle them. "Do you have a bag you can-"

Before she'd even finished asking the question, Tyri appeared at Scellia's side, also somehow inexplicably holding undamaged petals, as well as a cloth bag. The two of them dumped their petals in the bag and headed off to find more, and she even spotted Hiei joining them to add his before venturing off to find a new flower. She looked down at the one she'd been working on, barely stripped and with a few damaged petals besides. "Odd, stilted... and useful", she admitted, as she turned back to continue picking her flower free.

* * *

They arrived back at the makeshift infirmary before too long, with Benita giving Katrine and her odd companions looks, as if waiting for Kat to explain herself. The elf was trying her best to hold her temper, the three of them barely seemed to remain silent for longer than a few minutes at most, despite her asking them as politely as she could to be quiet. She wasn't used to this much chatter, often spending several days without speaking to anyone but Quina or Adaro. She visibly winced as Tyri spoke up again, apparently having noticed the beach. "Do you suppose this dried fish keeps long?"

Kat grit her teeth slightly, then turned to Benita. "I brought your flowers." She held up the dried packet of Moonglow, as well as the bulging bag of Sunbright that the pawns had managed to collect. Two flowers for each of them, as well as the somewhat-lesser one that Kat herself had managed to find.

"Oh! I knew I could trust you, goodfisher. I knew you wouldn't leave these poor wounded people to suffer." She tried to offer the elf a smile, though she kept shooting worried glances at the three Pawns behind Kat. One of them had begun to climb one of the ruined walls for some reason, like they were acting as a lookout, though Kat didn't think that particularly necessary within a town like Cassardis... "Did you... find new friends?"

"Yes. After a fashion. It's... a long story, but it seems they follow me now."

"I see..." Benita looked down at the packet in her hands. "Oh! That's the Moonglow, it's been rare in these parts as of late. Where did you find it?"

"Aestella had a bit, she was saving it for her aches. Maybe if you have anything left after you've treated the wounded...?"

Benita smiled gently. "Oh, of course. You've brought me more than enough Sunbright, I wasn't expecting quite this much. I can brew her up a tea that'll help her out nicely." She looked up to Kat after a moment. "In truth, I am surprised to see them got so quickly. I'll get to work directly. With luck, we'll have everyone back to health 'ere long. 'Tis your doing, cousin."

"Well, actually..." Kat smiled a little, gesturing toward the Pawns. 'Seems a nice place to rest', chimed one, staring at Pablos' Inn. "They did most of the gathering. I hardly finished one flower afore they'd stripped two each, pristine as you like."

Benita seemed surprised by that, watching the three odd creatures. "I see. Well... tell them thank you for me." She reached into a pocket. "As for you, I fear there's little I can offer you in thanks, save this. Pray, take it. Now to make some medicine!" She handed Kat some coins, and the elf placed them into her little coinpouch.

Kat nodded, then stepped away, gesturing for the Pawns to follow her. "Off to the Encampment now. You three seem to know the way, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. I've never left Cassardis before."

She stepped off toward the gate, and the three Pawns fell in step behind her. She rolled her eyes as one of them repeated themselves- a problem that the Pawns seemed to have in spades- as they passed the gate. "This path will see us there." She didn't bother to answer, instead keeping quiet and continuing on her way.

They arrived after a peaceful few hours' walk... well, peaceful as in lack of enemies along the way. Goblins and wolves sometimes stalked the path, but for now they seemed quelled by the recruits and the small patrols that the Enlistment Corps sometimes sent out to make sure it stayed clear. The Pawns had helpfully informed her several times over the course of her journey to the Encampment that the group in his area was led by a Ser Mercedes, a Knight sent by Hearthstone to help recruitment and show support for their alliance with Gransys. She wasn't sure how they knew what they knew, but she could glean quite a bit of information from them just by listening to them prattle on to themselves and each other. They never seemed to stay silent for long, but she thought that perhaps it was a method of making themselves seem more alive. It was somewhat endearing, if annoying, she realized after she'd thought about it on the otherwise-peaceful journey.

As they stopped just short of the gate, all three Pawns crooned in unison. "We've arrived, Master."

She never thought she'd get used to the way they could do that, but now she was starting to understand why they were called the Pawn _Legion._ She sighed quietly, then pushed open the gate to the Encampment with their help.


	3. One-Eyed Voices

Katrine stepped into the Encampment, helping her four Pawn followers through the door, before they closed it behind them. They received odd looks from some of the soldiers and men moving around the camp, carrying messages or bringing supplies or just heading to a different part of the area, their little band somewhat conspicuous. It was decidedly a military affair, with lines of spikes to act as defensive positions scattered about, towers for scouting or archers built here and there, tall walls ringing the entire thing with big gates providing exit and entry from the South and East. They'd come through the South gate, and so now stood on the South side of the camp.

She started to turn toward one of the Pawns, to ask what they knew of the camp, but she was interrupted by that same gentle warmth from the scar on her chest, and a voice filling her mind. Was this going to be a common thing?

 _Well met, Arisen. Can you hear our voice?_

"Arisen? What's an Arisen?" She looked to the three Pawns at her side, and finally decided she wasn't moving until she got some answers.

"Okay guys, what's an Arisen? Seriously, I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers." She turned to the side, gently poking Hiei in his shoulder. "Answers. Please."

"Arisen are those chosen by the Dragon to confront him." Hiei finally spoke, the most direct thing she'd heard him say to her so far. Her mouth fell open slightly, but she motioned for him to continue. "They are immortal unless they fall in battle, their lives tied to that of the Dragon. They are granted abilities above and beyond those of the normal inhabitant of Gransys, so that they may prove a challenge to Grigori when or if they challenge him."

Kat continued to stare, her mouth hanging open, though she managed to bring herself around enough to continue to ask a question. She should at least take advantage of his being forthcoming while she had the chance. "A-and those abilities are? What do you mean?"

"Your ability to heal from your injuries is substantially better than a normal person's. It takes you hours or days to heal from injuries that would cost another being months. Grigori's magic gave you a basic understanding of most combat techniques and tactics, and as you fight more you will learn more." The other two Pawns remained silent, staring at Katrine with the same basic and distant expressions that they always had, but Hiei seemed at least a little bit more focused than he had before...

"That's... amazing.", Kat finally admitted. "So I'm... better? Than other people?"

"After a fashion, yes, Arisen. Your mental faculties are not changed so if you were a bad person before you will be a bad person now. If you had the ability to be a hero, those abilities can now be realized. Not every Arisen rises to the challenge and decides to face the Dragon, and certainly not every one succeeds. You have chosen a long and dangerous path, Katrine."

Her eyes widened slightly. None of them had ever referred to her by her name before. It had always been 'Master' before now, and they'd called her 'Arisen' just moments ago. However, her thoughts were interrupted as the other two Pawns decided to interject. "To the best of my knowledge..." Tyri began, "We are near a Riftstone, if memory serves.", Scellia finished.

Katrine glanced toward the two of them, an eyebrow raised. "A Riftstone? You mean like the stone you guys came out of in Cassardis?"

The two of them spoke at once, "I know the way, Master! Follow me." And took off at a jog toward the center of camp.

Katrine looked at Hiei, who simply stared back at her, and then decided to follow the other two.

As they made their way through the camp they could see other soldiers and men moving around, and even a few people with the distant look she was starting to associate with Pawns moving around, likely come here to help with the efforts against the Dragon, or following someone else who had come here to join the Enlistment Corps. A few of the Pawns gave her a look as she passed, like they knew who she was, but most of the soldiers simply ignored her and continued on their way. Most of the men of the Corps seemed to wear metal armor like Scellia did, though theirs was emblazoned with the colors of Gransys, as well as some sort of coat of arms. Scellia and Tyri continued on ahead, though they glanced back every now and then to ensure that Kat was following and slow down if necessary. Hiei stayed nearly at her side, only a few steps behind her.

They caught up with the other two Pawns outside of a large tent with a banner of the same coat of arms on the soldiers' armor hanging from the peak, and she stopped for a moment to peer curiously at it. Before she could ask, however, Hiei spoke up again. "That is the Royal Banner of Duke Edmund Dragonsbane. The Enlistment Corps uses it as their banner as well."

She nodded, pursing her lips slightly. "Good to know." She looked back to the tent then, heading inside as she saw the Riftstone standing near the back. She took a closer look at it now that she was near it, noting the spiral in the center, and lines of runes following each arm of the spiral that flowed out to the edges of the large stone. The face of it was completely flat, but the back looked just like any other boulder... she wondered if they had to be carved out of a specific type of stone, or if they could be made of anything.

The three Pawns moved up behind her, watching as she examined the stone, and Hiei spoke again. "Touch the stone, Arisen. You will learn more if you do."

An eyebrow raised, she looked from the Pawns to the stone, eyeing it suspiciously, before she gently reached out to touch it.

 _Well met, Arisen. Can you hear our voice?"_

She looked around herself, eyebrow still raised, but let out a quiet little 'yeah...?', somewhat confused as to how this process worked.

 _We speak to you from across a great distance. The Pawn Legion has awaited you. Pray, forgive this strange and impersonal greeting._

Kat turned back to look at the other three Pawns, but they seemed content to remain silent, for once, and simply watch her as she interacted with the Riftstone.

 _This Rift serves as a gate. It connects our kind to your world. It opens to the Arisen, for they possess a will powerful enough to guide the Legion._

She watched as the runes across the stone slowly began to glow a light blue, and fought the urge to step back from the stone, and stood her ground.

 _If you would claim to be among the Arisen, prove the strength of your resolve._

"I don't... claim to be anything. But... if I have to prove that I'm one of these Arisen... Alright." She chewed at the corner of her bottom lip after she spoke. This was so strange, talking to a glowing stone that spoke with a voice like many individuals in a chorus. But if she had to prove herself somehow, if that's what she needed to do to get some more answers, that's what she'd do.

 _Very well. Then we shall guide you in your trial. If you are an Arisen in truth, this humble task will prove no obstacle. The Arisen must possess the valor to stand against all threats, and the power to quell them._

"Stand against... threats? What threats? You mean the Dragon, right?"

The stone continued unabated however, speaking as it would without acknowledging her, much like the Pawns often did. She guessed that made sense, since they appeared to be one and the same. She sighed softly as it continued.

 _A tireless spirit of self-improvement grants the strength to lead the Legion. Pray, show it now. Search the area around the Encampment, and quell any threats that show themselves. Do this, and you will be acknowledged as Arisen by the Legion._

The glow of the stone faded and the voice quieted, and Kat turned back to look at the other Pawns. "Is that why you three haven't wanted to answer any questions? I haven't proved myself yet?"

None of them seemed to want to answer, but she caught Hiei's eyes after a moment. He paused, then simply nodded once. That's all the answer she really needed, though she didn't like that she'd been basically manipulated. And why send three when one might have sufficed? She pursed her lips, then stepped out of the small room in the back of the tent that had contained the stone. She was stopped, however, by the Innkeeper, such as this tent was an Inn, who reached out to her with a hand.

"Have all you need? We are an Inn first and foremost, but we offer more than simple lodging. We can safeguard your belongings, or aid in learning new skills." He smiled in a friendly-enough way at her, and Katrine nodded.

"I see... but learning skills?"

"If you are truly the Arisen as the stone claims you to be, there are many who can show you skills simply by imparting the memory of their use upon you. It will require Discipline on your part, meaning you won't be able to learn too many new skills at once, but you will be able to recover that in time and through combat."

She stared at him for a moment, then pursed her lips. "Are you a Pawn too, or something?"

He let out a laugh. "No, no. We Innkeepers are a special lot. We receive training to better help the Arisen in their travels. Training that I can pass to you, if you do prove to be among their number." He placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "But I do believe you have a task to do, first."

Kat stared at him for a moment longer, then inclined her head in a nod and turned away. So many new things she'd have to learn and understand, if she'd known this before the Dragon attacked she might have just let him squash her... She pursed her lips at the thought and shook her head, then continued her way out of the tent.

"Shall we search the area?", Scellia offered, before moving off in a direction. Tyri and Hiei both separated as well, looking in different areas for what this 'challenge' might be.

Katrine stood outside of the tent, looking around, but soon enough heard a quiet 'ahem' from beside her. She turned, and found herself face to face with an armored woman wearing a crest she didn't recognize upon her shield. She thought about what the Pawns had said a moment, then ventured a question. "You must be Mercedes, right? The woman in charge of this group of the Enlistment Corps?"

The woman nodded, then spoke. "Are you here to enlist with the Corps?" She looked Katrine up and down, taking in her 'armor' and weapons, and placed a hand on her hip. "Hmm... You've got the stature for it, to look at you."

Kat smiled, but shook her head. "Sorry. I'm just traveling through, and stopped here to rest."

Mercedes nodded, then turned her head to the side, done with their little conversation. Katrine supposed she was likely busy, as the woman soon walked off. She didn't know where she was to go or what she was supposed to do just yet, and decided to follow off after Scellia. Hiei's somewhat odd behavior left her somewhat disconcerted, at least Scellia and Tyri still acted like she had come to expect Pawns to. It wasn't long after she found Scellia, the pawn exclaiming 'This must be where the men of the Corps sleep!' after seeing some beds in tents, that she heard a commotion from the center of camp.

Kat gestured for Scellia to follow and jogged over to go see what was going on, only to see a group of about a dozen soldiers running off toward the South Gate. "The beast comes! Hurry!"

"The beast...?" She glanced to Scellia. "Get the others."

The Pawn froze for a moment then started off toward the gate. Kat rolled her eyes but quickly followed after, and soon enough she was joined by Hiei and Tyri as they all ran toward the South Gate. The gate was standing open, and they could feel thudding and hear low growling even now. Kat picked up her speed as they headed through the gate, though she pulled up short when she saw exactly what she was facing.

"A Cyclops, Master!" Scellia and Tyri immediately drew their weapons, the large beast on it's hands and knees, swiping this way and that, it's large hands sending Goblins and Humans alike flying away with the sound of crunching bone and denting metal.

"No kidding!", Kat shot back as she drew her daggers, watching as the large Cyclops pushed itself back to it's feet and swiped again with it's massive, club-like hands, knocking still-more Goblins away. She gestured with one hand then the next. "Scellia! Drive off the Goblins, save the soldiers if you can! Tyri, do what you can with your spells!"

She didn't know where these orders were coming from, she'd never been in combat in her life, but she just seemed to **know** what to do and how to fight the Cyclops. She turned to Hiei, who'd already drawn his bow. "It has only one eye, Master. Shall we strike it?"

Kat nodded, gesturing at the eye, and he knocked an arrow into his bow. She darted forward, blades extended, swiping first at a Goblin on her left, pivoting to strike another on her right with her foot as she passed, knocking him off of the back of a soldier he'd been climbing. She slid on her knees, likely ruining her pants, under another swing of the giant's arm, raising a blade to scrape across the thick skin as she did, feeling the metal bite deep. She forced herself to her feet, watching for a split second as Tyri charged a spell, something that looked like fire. She recalled the words from hours ago, 'Goblins ill like fire!' and realized the Pawn was putting it's own advice to use.

Scellia slammed another Goblin with her shield, sending it's head spinning around the wrong way, while she parried another strike with her sword. Kat turned to the Cyclops, it's attention focused on Hiei, who was pelting it's head with arrows. She took a running start and then lept, leading with her daggers, feeling them bury into the beast's skin as she started using them to scale it. It had already been damaged by the soldiers fighting it, but her band of Pawns and herself were going to be what it took to finish it off.

Feeling her blades sink deep as she climbed ever higher, the Cyclops reeled as she apparently hit something important with one of her strikes. She pulled both blades free and fell several feet to avoid the big hand that clawed across it's back, trying to dislodge her, but she heard a scream of pain soon after, and both hands went toward it's head. Hiei had likely scored a hit on it's eye... She quickly climbed higher, until she could see it's spine under the cover of it's skin. Gritting her teeth, she sank both daggers in, one on each side of the beast's spine, and then yanked each one across, slicing through the beast's spine in two places.

It stood nearly straight up to it's impressive height... and then began to topple backward. She lept free after yanking both of her blades from the beast's back, landing a moment before it did, slamming over onto it's back, stone dead. She re-sheathed both of her blades, taking stock of her band and the soldiers. Several of them lay around the area, likely dead or dying, but so were all of the goblins, and fewer men had died than if she weren't here... Scellia looked fine, Tyri looked a bit tired but otherwise fine, Hiei was replacing his longbow across his back, and she felt relatively okay, if somewhat shaken. She'd never fought before in her life, and they'd dispatched that Cyclops like it was nothing... "Is this what it's like to be Arisen?", she asked the three of them.

For once, all three of them smiled, and Hiei nodded again, approvingly.

They returned to the Encampment soon afterward, along with a chorus of chatter from the pawns. "Twas a close scrape, that." "We've done as asked. Let us go give word of it." "If we set out from here, we'll be on the path to Gran Soren." Kat smirked and shook her head. The way they could switch from silent obedience one moment to inane chatter the next was still annoying, but she was finding it more endearing than anything the more it happened. Like an enthusiastic, extremely helpful child. Maybe they were just happy to have one of the 'Arisen' to serve, even if she didn't fully understand just what that meant, yet.

She got several waves from thankful soldiers as she passed, some of them having seen what she and her friends had done against the Cyclops, and she offered waves back to them. She had to admit, after living most of her life as an Outcast and a loner, it did feel somewhat nice to have people who apparently liked having her around, or at least didn't offer her the same stigma that those within Cassardis had. No one here had mentioned her ears or her height, apparently caring more about whether or not she could fight than how she looked. And by taking down the Cyclops, she'd hopefully shown that she _could_ fight, even though she wasn't sure it was entirely her own ability. Though she wasn't sure if she should mention she apparently got her fighting prowess from the dragon...

They arrived back in the Inn-tent before too long, the Innkeeper waving with a smile as they entered, and she inclined her head to him as she passed to go visit the stone again. She'd done what it asked, she hoped, unless it knew of some other huge creature she'd have to face... She waited for a moment, to see if it'd just start talking again, but when nothing was forthcoming, a soft touch to an edge of the stone was enough to get it's attention.

 _With that, your trial is complete. You are the Arisen in truth, proven beyond any doubt._

She nodded along, she certainly didn't know how to fight before yesterday, and she'd already made her way to the encampment and killed a Cyclops today. She'd never learned how to do any of that, and she simply **knew** now, so she supposed she was this 'Arisen' that they'd been looking for.

 _I would bid you select a companion to serve you as yours alone and accompany you on the journey ahead, but it seems that your companions have already been chosen for you._

Kat turned to look behind her, and smiled gently at the three Pawns who'd appeared before her in Cassardis. Scellia, the shield-bearing fighter; Hiei, the bow-using ranger; Tyri, the spellcasting mage. Each one nodded to her in turn, and she turned back to the stone who seemed to be contemplating the development.

 _They shall serve you and you alone,_ it seemed to decide, _to share in your hardships and aid you in every endeavor._

She turned to look toward them fully, and the three of them slowly sank to their knees, palms raised to show off the mark upon it, and her chest answered in kind beneath her shirt and leather armor. "Our fealty is sworn to you, Arisen.", spoke Hiei. Scellia continued. "From this day, the Legions men call 'Pawns' live and die by your command." "We are honored to follow you.", finished Tyri, and Kat gasped quietly as several more of the pawns turned up, each kneeling in turn to acknowledge the Arisen among them, as if called by the Rift.

She stood before them, speechless, though they didn't seem to need any acknowledgement from her. As her three Pawns stood, so did they, and soon the rest of them dispersed as quietly as they'd come. She looked between her three new friends, unsure of what to do or what to say. "What now?", she finally asked.

"Tonight should be a time of rest. More trials will surely come tomorrow, and we will need to be prepared and rested.", Hiei answered.

Katrine nodded. "I understand. We should... probably also get some better gear. Or... me, at least. I wouldn't want to be hit by a Cyclops wearing this thin leather." She pulled gently at the little vest she wore.

"I believe I can help with that.", spoke up a voice from the back of the room.

Katrine tilted her head to the side and looked behind her pawns, to find Mercedes watching her with something quite like a smirk on her face. The armored woman gestured with a finger. "Come with me, 'Arisen'. I will have one of our Outfitters see to you."

* * *

An hour and a half later and Katrine emerged from the Outfitter's tent. Finding clothes and armor that fit her had been a challenge, as she was taller than even many of the men in the Encampment, but the woman had pulled through rather well, she thought. She now wore sturdy and protective leather, her gifted vest having been sewn into the lining of a new jacket. The collar of it was high, high enough to obscure her ears if she pulled it up, and came with a hood to protect from rain and dust if she needed it. It was tailored well to her sides, the women of the Outfitter's Tent used to working quickly and expertly to fit the men of the Corps with the gear they needed. She also had a new pair of sturdy boots, a men's size that would have come nearly to their knees, but covered about halfway up her calf. They were covered by long sturdy traveling trousers backed with a thin layer of leather, that would protect her legs from the odd knife slash or rocks or brush that they might encounter on their way.

While she'd been inside, Mercedes had brought her a new pair of daggers in an oiled leather harness, as well as a new bow, 'gifts from the men', as she'd called it, in thanks for her assistance with the Cyclops. Now outfitted properly, she thought she cut a rather dashing figure. The last objected presented her was a thick shoulder-cloak, 'just in case' they ran into cold or inclement weather. She extended her arms to the sides, even her hands covered in comfortable gloves to help protect her. "Huh? What do you think?"

All three of the pawns nodded, smiles upon her faces, and even Mercedes offered the elf a few appreciative claps. "You cut a wonderful figure, miss..." She held out a hand waiting for the woman to answer.

"Katrine. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner."

The woman gestured with a dismissive wave. "It is no matter. You may even pass as fashionable in my home country of Hearthstone. Most Gransys fashion is so out of the times there." She smiled gently, then even bowed slowly before Katrine. "I thank you for saving my men's lives. We still lost a few, but much less than if you and your Pawns 'ad not been there to assist us."

"I'm just glad I could help then. It seems the Enlistment Corps can use the help, what with the dragon's return. Did... the men from Cassardis ever return here?", Kat asked after remembering the three soldiers who'd turned and run at the first sight of the dragon.

"No. I thought they'd died in the attack. What happened?"

Kat sighed. She'd hoped they hadn't deserted, but... "As soon as the dragon appeared, they turned and ran. I had to fight it off with one of their swords. I thought they might have come back here to gather reinforcements, but didn't think to ask..."

Mercedes cursed quietly, shaking her head. "They never returned." She placed a hand on each hip, looking at the ground. "We 'ave had problems with morale for weeks. The men dislike being led by a woman, especially one not of Gransys." Then she waved a hand with a quiet 'bah'. "But my troubles are not yours. Come, rest, you can use their tent. We will speak more in the morning, perhaps after you 'ave reconsidered my offer to join the Corps, no?"

Katrine smiled, following Mercedes, and the three Pawns quickly followed suit. "Maybe. We'll see."

Mercedes led the four of them to a tent, bidding the Arisen and her companions goodnight. It was still somewhat early in the evening, but she could use the time to rest and relax after fighting her first bit of combat in her life... She settled down onto a bedroll, looking over the Pawns as they settled in various positions. "Do you three sleep at all?"

They collectively shook their heads, drawing a confused look and a head-tilt from the resting elf. "Really? What about eat?" They shook their heads again. "Bathroom?" Again, shaking. She pursed her lips. "So you just... awake, all the time?" They nodded. "How?"

"We are Pawns, creatures of the Rift", Scellia helpfully piped up.

Katrine sighed and lay back onto her bedroll, deciding she'd had quite enough Pawn nonsense for the day. "Fine. Wake me when it's morning."


	4. Hissing Witches

When Katrine awoke the next morning, it was to the cacophonous sounds of men running and screaming, and the ground underneath her shaking and rumbling as _something_ moved. "Are we under attack?!" She shouted as she pushed herself out of the bedroll she'd taken, and for once her question was met with absolute silence. Where the hell had the Pawns run off to?

She pushed herself out of bed and strode from her tent, only to hear a scream and to nearly be collided with as someone landed at her feet with a cloud of dust and the sounds of cloth on stone, as well as a wheeze of breath from... Tyri? "What the hell's going on!?", the Arisen asked as she looked around. Men running, all of them away, blue sky, decent weather, hydra head- She paused, eyes going wide, and did a double take back toward the rear of the camp.

"A FUCKING HYDRA!?" came the question as she took steps backward, away from the creature. Tyri pushed herself to her feet and turned back to look at Katrine, that same deadpan expression as ever, already starting to cast a spell.

"The others are already combating the beast, Master. Please hurry." The Pawn turned back and unleashed her spell, flame spitting from the tip of her staff in several firebolts to pelt the creature, spattering magical fire across several of the heads and their necks.

Kat drew her new blades from their sheathes with a grumble, twirling her daggers in her hands. Time to put these supposed gifted skills to the test, apparently... She quickly ran toward the hydra, having to dodge rubble of a tent and crate tossed her way by a slap of the creature's tail, and sure enough as she got closer, Scellia and Hiei were already combating the creature. Hiei had managed to climb one of the necks, stabbing his own pair of daggers into the scales, but they kept glancing off, even throwing sparks. What was this thing made of!?

Scellia stood at the base, several soldiers at her side, dodging blows by the heads as the creature struck again and again, nearly burying it's snout into the ground with each strike, throwing up clouds of dirt. The Pawn even managed to deflect one, somehow, stepping to the side at the last moment and letting the hydra's head glance off of her upheld shield. "Scellia! Hiei, I'm coming!", shouted Kat as she quickly made her way closer, daggers at the ready. She approached just as the hydra struck again, glancing one of the soldiers and sending him skidding off to the side screaming in pain- his arm looked like it was hanging limp from his side.

Daggers raised as she ran, she took the offered opportunity to stab her blade deep into the creature's eyesocket, and unlike her Pawn's attack at it's neck, this one found a home, wickedly-hot hydra blood splattering across her arm and chest as the exposed eye ruptured. The hydra screamed and recoiled, and she grinned, having drew her blade free in the nick of time. She continued running until she stood at Scellia's side, her Pawn nodding once at her approach, too out of breath to say anything else.

Hiei lost his grip and tumbled as the hydra recoiled, but he managed to roll to his feet, daggers held out to the sides so he didn't stab himself. He sprinted toward them, eyes fixed on the hydra as it hissed and writhed. One of the heads was biting over and over at the one that'd been stabbed, attacking the pained area. "What do we do, Arisen? Our blades cannot find purchase in such a beast!"

Kat spun her dagger in hand, glancing to the two Pawns. "Mine did. Scellia, I'll help you distract it." She gestured with one hand toward the Hydra, then turned to Hiei. "You climb one of those towers and pelt it with arrows. Aim for the eyes." She held up her bloodied blade, then gestured toward the towers. The two Pawns nodded, both of them moving off to follow her orders as Kat followed Scellia.

 _What the hell am I doing? I've never fought a hydra before..._

She didn't get long to worry, however, as the massive creature, dwarfing even this large military camp, seemed to have recovered enough to renew the fight, blood streaming from it's damaged eye. Katrine unleashed a growl and readied her blades again, Scellia doing the same. Several of the soldiers had returned upon hearing the hydra scream, and seeing the Arisen and her pawns fighting the creature seemed to fill them with the valor that they'd been lacking in it's first assault, and they quickly joined around Katrine and Scellia, Tyri among them.

The sorceress raised her staff and intoned a spell, shouting 'Take my flame!' as she completed her incantation, and the weapons of those around her, including Katrine and Scellia, burst into magical flames that licked at the metal of the weaponry. "Oh this is great..." Katrine actually laughed, then gestured from Tyri to the creature. "Give it all you've got!" She raised her blade and looked at the men around her. "Attack!"

With a collective roar the men and Pawns and Katrine charged the creature, who assaulted anew, heads slamming into the dirt and the tail swaying and slapping at all the targets presented to it. Several of the men were claimed almost immediately, and though she struck at the creature with all her might, Katrine could do no more than Hiei had before, her blades skipping off of the scales. They'd need something big in order to deal with this monstrosity...

She barely dodged to the side as a head slammed down where she'd been standing only moments before, and as she looked up to check if any others were readying for an attack, her heart leapt into her throat as she watched a man struggling in it's jaws, screaming bloody murder. "Help me! Help me please!" He struggled for a moment longer before the jaws of the beast snapped shut with a sickening crunch, armor and all standing no chance against the sheer strength of this horrific monster.

Anger stirring in her heart, Katrine attacked once more, standing at Scellia's side as the Pawn used her shield to deflect blows and protect the Arisen from the creature's swipes, hacking away with her own, larger blade to just as little effect. "It's not working, Arisen! How can we fell such a beast?"

As if to answer them, the hydra screamed again, steaming blood splattering the ground around them, and Scellia and Katrine both looked up to see an arrow protruding from another eye. She was just about to shout encouragement over the din of battle when she felt herself roughly yanked to the side as Scellia dove, and moments later the entire serpent surged forward, carving a huge rut in the dirt where they'd been standing only moments before- it seemed the creature wasn't about to recoil this time.

She heard before she saw the crash, turning her head in time to see the hydra wrapping itself around the very tower the Pawn had been inhabiting only moments before. "HIEI!"

The snake hissed and constricted, and though the wood fought back with a groaning protest, armored scale and giant muscle were too much. The entire watchtower seemed to explode all at once in a shower of splinters and dust, sending shrapnel raining down around them. She could just barely see a figure leaping free as the top of the tower toppled to the side, her Pawn somehow getting out of there.

"Come! We must prevent it from escaping the camp!" She raised her dagger and charged again, using herself as a rallying point for the surviving men around them. She swung her blade toward Tyri. "Tend to the wounded as best as you can! Save them!", she shouted behind herself as she ran.

When they approached, she could see Mercedes doing much as Scellia had done before, fighting up close and using her shield to protect herself and one of the men- the Corps commander stood out due to her stark white cloak. Scellia and Katrine and the men with them quickly joined the fray, the Arisen looking for Hiei but not able to spot him in the commotion... She soon had bigger concerns, however, as even with all the men currently present they were still hard-pressed to hold the creature at bay.

Their fight very nearly seemed hopeless, until a familiar voice started shouting for her attention. "Arisen! Arisen, quickly!"

She extricated herself from the fight, having to dodge another head to do so, to find Hiei, safe and sound aside from a few cuts and rapidly-darkening bruises. "Arisen! These barrels are explosive powder."

It didn't take her long to realize what he wanted her to do. "Okay! Can you hit a target like that?"

He nodded, and she took that as all the reassurance she needed. "Good! Get into position, when I say so, shoot it!"

The Pawn hurried away as she hefted one of the barrels, finding to her dismay that they were heavier than they looked. How would she...

Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had to do, and she quickly carted the thing back into the fighting, having to jump to the side to avoid another blow by one of the heads as she did so. "Scellia! Scellia, come here." Her Pawn disengaged to come to her side, and she quickly laid out her plan to the woman.

"Are you certain!? You could be killed!" It was the first time she'd heard genuine concern in the Pawn's voice, but she nodded.

"It's the only way. It's too heavy to throw. Are you ready?"

Scellia frowned, but nodded, and the two of them quickly got into position.

Wobbling on her feet, Katrine was quickly raised up on Scellia's shield, the Pawn grunting beneath her as she struggled to get the Arisen and the barrel into the air. She could vaguely hear a 'the 'ell are you doing!' from Mercedes, but she couldn't spare the attention to look in the woman's direction as she hefted the barrel over her head. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping to get one of the head's attention, a wordless yell that seemed to work, several of the heads glancing her way. A long tongue flickered free from one of them, and Katrine tensed as she readied herself.

The head struck, faster than the eye could follow, and Katrine felt crushing pressure around herself as she was engulfed, along with the barrel she'd been holding. Wet heat surrounded her, and she could feel pricks and points of pain across her torso and one of her legs as the snake's jaws covered her. She was glad she'd gotten the updated armor the night before... She struggled, using a foot to shove the barrel deeper into the mouth, hoping that the snake'd choke on it or something... she screamed in pain as she felt the mouth wrench around her, the hydra loosing another scream, and daylight streamed through as the snake's maw opened wide.

She took the opportunity, likely the only one she was going to get, and threw herself from the snake's mouth as hard as she could. She screamed in pain as she tumbled and fell, feeling something tear across her arm and her leg where the armor didn't cover. Kat landed with a thud that crushed the air from her lungs and left her wheezing for breath, tears streaming from her eyes at the pain of it all. Her head fell to the side and she saw Hiei, standing upon the gate, something affixed to an arrow that was currently ablaze. He drew back, pulling his bow further than she'd yet seen, the wood flexing like it was going to snap at any moment.

He released his arrow with a snap that could have rivaled thunder... or perhaps that was what came next. His bolt impacted the bulge in the hydra's throat where the explosive barrel was being swallowed, and with a noise like she'd never heard before, there was a bright flash of light that burned spots into her eyes. The hydra roared in pain, louder than any before, a chorus of screams and hisses joining together in one long riot of sound that faded into the distance. The ground rumbled beneath Kat as she finally drew in a breath that only ignited more suffering in her chest- she was sure something was broken.

She managed to sit up just as something landed about twenty feet away from her with a sickening, wet slap and a crunch, and a cheer went up from the men around her. Kat felt a hand on her own, pulling her to her feet, and where she expected to see one of the Pawns was instead Mercedes. "That is one of ze STUPIDEEST things I 'ave ever seen!" The woman's gaze bored into Katrine for a long moment, and the Arisen swore she could feel her soul withering away by inches, before the Captain's eyes softened. "But you saved my men, and for zat, I am grateful."

Mercedes stepped away, and Katrine's eyes were drawn to the snake's head as it let out one last hissing wheeze and grew still, an odd red symbol fading away upon it though it flared brightly one last time. She couldn't ponder for more than a moment, however, as three bodies quickly impacted hers, surrounding her in chittering Pawns. 'Master we did it!' 'Let me tend your wounds, you're bleeding.' 'The Hydra won't be back from that too quickly!'

Katrine laughed and hugged the Pawns to herself as best as she could, though Tyri was correct and she was in fact bleeding, judging by the pain from her shoulder. "Okay okay, step back. Let me breathe..."

She turned as Tyri began readying a spell, to see Mercedes and her men watching the four of them, something like a smirk on the Captain's face. "I am impressed."

With those words the men rushed forward, surrounding the head and murmuring to themselves. One of them, who appeared to have arrived late judging by the lack of dust and blood on his armor, let out an appreciative whistle. "Cor! This your handiwork? For truth!?" He waited only until Katrine gave him a proud little nod, before he joined the others in touching and examining the blown-free head of the hydra. Katrine winced gently as Tyri's spell began to work at her flesh, sewing her cuts back together- she'd have to wash later to get the blood off, and patch up her new jacket and pants...

"Oh, what were the like of a hydra doing here anyway!?", one of the men asked, drawing several similar questions from other men nearby.

Mercedes stepped closer, back in her military bearing, hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Katrine could see the sweat on the woman's olive skin, but her breathing was already easing- clearly someone used to the physical exertion of military life. "Ancient tales of the Arisen are all well and good, friend, but make a gift of zis 'ead to ze Duke..." Mercedes smiled slightly. "And you might 'ave yourself a real title."

"A title? What sort of title?" Katrine tried to mimic the woman's pose, hands resting on the hilts of her daggers, but quickly abandoned it after the woman's smile only grew wider.

"Likely zat of the Wyrm Hunters. The Duke's elite forces, chosen to 'unt down the dragon." She turned to look back at the hydra head and the men standing around it. "I see better now from whence the legends arose. Good, if... interesting judgement, swift footwork... Impressive, truly." She nodded her head once toward Katrine.

"In any case, ze Duke will want to know of zis attack." She looked around herself at the damaged encampment, and the soldiers crowding around the head and sighed quietly. "I'd 'oped to gather a larger force before leaving for the Capital..." Then she turned back to Katrine, and the smile on her face was clear as day. "But a hydra's head and the Arisen who claimed it make up the difference amply."

Katrine felt pride well up in her chest for the first time since she'd picked up a sword on the beach the other day, and she nodded in response to the praise. "Thank you."

"We will take the head through the pass, though I cannot say what it will hold for us. It is rarely traveled zese days. You will need your strength." She looked toward the head. "We'll need a cart, and it will be slow going. I daresay you will 'ave no trouble catching up?" She looked toward the Arisen with a raised eyebrow.

Katrine was about to answer until she head someone calling her name, and her attention was drawn to the gate. Someone from Cassardis was waving to her? What in Gransys would they want? And why were they here now...

Mercedes gently put a hand on Katrine's shoulder. "We'll meet at the waycastle. Tell then, I bid you rest well. 'Tis a long road ahead. We will wait no more than two days before we head on to Gran Soren on our own."

Katrine nodded with a quiet 'thank you', then headed off toward the man calling her name. "Elvar? What are you doing all the way out here?"

"That terrible creature- I saw it from my spot at the post... what was it?" The man wrung his hands, looking past Katrine and the others toward the hydra head, which some of the soldiers were starting to load onto a cart that had been brought over.

"A hydra. We managed to drive it away, took one of it's heads."

"It's been dispatched then? Thank the Maker..." He looked around for a moment, then held out a hand. "Er... hold a moment. Is Quina not with you?"

"Quina? No, we haven't seen her since we left Cassardis yesterday."

"She was said to leave the village in search of aught for your wounds. I thought you accompanied her..." He continued when Katrine shook her head to the negative. "These are dark times for a girl alone in the wilds. Any idea where she might be off to?"

Katrine shook her head, and he did the same.

"I fear for her if she is not found soon..."

Katrine pursed her lips and looked to the Pawns. "Back to Cassardis. Maybe Adaro knows where she's gone."

The three nodded, and they set back off the way they'd come.


	5. The Witchwood

The three of them traveled quickly to Cassardis, their journey unmolested save for a pair of goblins- likely having come down from the mountains nearby to prey on passerby- that were dispatched without a fuss, their bodies dumped over the cliff into the sea so they wouldn't attract wolves. They'd only left a scarce day ago and Katrine already felt like she'd been away for months, so much had changed in such a short time.

It took her a moment to realize that the four of them weren't alone just inside the gate, an odd man in a red cloak watching the small group of them from the depths of his hood. She didn't know why, but something about him put her hackles up, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She turned to face him, as did the Pawns at her side, and for once they remained completely silent... but he didn't, not for long.

"Ahh, the venerable Arisen returns... Are you come to lead the Pawns on a quest to slay the Dragon?"

Katrine started to speak, but was cut off as the man continued, his voice raised.

"Those equivocal husks? Will or nil, the Arisen is always drawn to the Dragon, as puppets strung in Fate's own thread. Many have come before you, eager to stand tall atop the grand capstone of worldly truth that is the Dragon."

"Excuse me, I have no idea-" was all she got before the man stepped forward, a finger raised as he shouted her down.

"Arrogance!"

Stifled for the moment, she remained silent.

"The dragon is born ever anew into the world and with it, too, the Arisen. All Arisen seek out the dragon, but lucky are the few that attain an audience with the beast... while they yet live. Ours is a weak, fragile world and little within it is more frail than man." The hooded man turned away for a moment, looking out over the horizon back to the encampment that they'd just left. "In yon encampment they gather up their knights and hired steel..." He turned his head back to Katrine and her companions. "They think to grow their numbers and hunt the Dragon... But they shall soon learn their lot will e'er be as prey." He turned to Katrine and she could see his face for the first time, recoiling at the sickly pallor of his skin and the horrible blemish that used to be his right eye, like something had stabbed into the socket and the wound had never quite healed.

The man grinned, showing miscolored teeth, and before Katrine could recover he had wandered past the edge of the walls. She followed him out, attempting to catch him so she could ask questions, but he had somehow vanished, leaving the group alone. Questions and no small amount of worry swam within Katrine's head as she turned her head this way and that. How did he know so much? Who was he? And why did he feel somehow familiar?

She bit her lip slightly and chewed as she thought, heading back into Cassardis- she still had to speak to Chief Adaro after all.

It didn't take long to find him, as he was usually either near the gate, welcoming newcomers to the city, or at his home where the town held meetings in a back room. This time he was near the front gate, though likely far enough away that he hadn't heard her exchange with the odd robed man.

"Hold, Minnow!" Aldous beckoned her as she walked, intending to get her attention regardless, and he smiled nervously as she approached. That wasn't a name for her that he used often, a play on how tall she'd gotten when she was younger. He must be worried. "I'd have your ear a moment."

"Of course. I was coming to speak to you anyway." She stepped closer and placed her hands on her hips, waiting for him to continue.

"It's been a full sun since last I saw Quina. She spoke o' the Witchwood to find a cure for your wound. If she's gone there for true..." The worry about his daughter was clear in his voice, and Katrine nodded.

"I was just looking for her. Are you sure she said the Witchwood? That's a long way from here."

He nodded, reaching out his hand to grasp her own. "I beg of you: Find Quina and see her back safely, ere some ill befalls her."

Katrine smiled softly and nodded, placing her other hand on top of his to give it a soft squeeze. "Of course, Adaro. I want to see her safe and sound just as much as you." She pulled him close and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to give him a reassuring hug before pulling away. "We'll bring her back."

"Please, hurry!", he called after them as Katrine gestured for her Pawns, and the four of them headed back toward the Encampment- the way to the Witchwood was up a small gulch just on the other side of the fortifications.

They made good time back to the encampment, though they skirted around the outer edge rather than travel through it again and have to wait for the gates to open and close. It was a little closer to the cliff than Katrine liked, but it saved them at least a few minutes of time.

Their only trouble was a small pack of wolves(Announced with a 'Wolves travel in packs!' from both Scellia and Hiei at the top of their lungs), which the four of them were able to deal with in just a few short moments. Soon enough they found themselves at the top of the gully, staring out at an expanse of land the likes of which Katrine had never seen, rolling, gentle hills as far as the eye could see, with castle ruins off in the distance.

Scellia piped up to break Katrine out of her reverie, the Pawn cheerfully announcing "Bandits have taken over the Vestad Hills in recent years, based out of the old castle ruins."

Katrine smirked slightly, wind over the hill stirring her hair and ponytail. "Thank you."

"Bandits fight as fierce as any beast.", came the reply.

The Arisen rolled her eyes slightly, that smirk growing to a small smile, but she gestured for the Pawns to continue along. They'd have more time to admire the countryside when they didn't have a friend to save.

Despite more wolves, the four of them made good time to the Witchwood, descending down the other side of the mountain that they'd climbed through the gully. The wood was surprisingly close to Cassardis if her mental map was correct, separated only by a short stretch of coast and the long trek 'round the mountain. Still, they didn't have long to linger as most of the day had already been spent traveling, and the chances of Quina coming to harm grew more with each passing minute.

The closer they got to the Witchwood the more Katrine noticed a very... odd fog. It didn't feel threatening, despite the way it made her vision worse, and just like the odd man who'd preached at her in Cassardis, it all felt somehow familiar in a way she just couldn't place. Her Pawns seemed to sense it too, judging by their comments. "This fog feels familiar somehow, Arisen. Even comforting."

That observation was enough to cause Katrine to purse her lips, and the closer they got to the Witchwood the more the fog seemed to press in... until all at once it seemed to lift. It still clung to the ground and trees, lending a dreamlike, hazy quality to their surroundings, but it was much easier to see than it had been only moments ago. And, even better, she could see Quina just up ahead!

"Is... is that Quina?", asked Hiei.

"Quina!", she called with a wave of her hand. "Quina are you okay?"

"Oh! What are you doing..."

"We were told you've been gone over a day. Adaro sent us to find you."

"You came searching for me? Forgive me! I would never wish to worry you. It took longer to get here than I anticipated, there were bandits along the path."

"They must have moved on before we arrived, we only saw wolves along the way here." Katrine put her hands on her hips with a sigh, glad to see that her adoptive sister was safe.

Quina nodded. "I had to come. A witch walks these woods- one who understands the language of the Dragon."

Katrine tilted her head to the side. "Really? In these woods?"

"If I may find her, I will beg her aid in healing your wound."

"But Quina, I feel fine." Katrine pulled her shirt down slightly to show her friend the scar where the dragon's claw had pierced her skin- sure, she still couldn't feel a heartbeat, but...

Quina shook her head. "It is unnatural, cos..." She turned back toward the deeper wood, though shifted to look to Katrine. "Will you accompany me? This fog bodes ill... I would walk easier with you at my side."

The Arisen sighed, adjusting her clothing so it sat comfortably again. There was no talking Quina out of something once she set her mind upon it. "Sure, Quina. Just tell us where we need to go."

The Pawns stepped in, forming ranks around the two of them. "Take care we're not separated from Quina, Arisen."

Katrine laughed quietly under her breath. "I wasn't planning on it, you three."

They walked just a few minutes before the sound of water rushing over rocks reached her ears, and as the fog cleared around a bend, Katrine could see the source... as well as something else off in the distance, like a deeper cluster of fog standing atop a small rise in the land.

"We must ford this river to reach the witch's cottage.", piped up Scellia helpfully, followed soon after by Tyri. "We make for the area across this river and beyond."

"Great. What's that thing off in the distance there?" Katrine pointed toward the odd cluster of fog, which appeared to have something standing in it, like a figure or small construction.

Quina let out a quiet gasp as she saw it, just as the group reached the edge of the water. They started picking their way across it, and Katrine began to lead Quina across, helping her find rocks to keep her dress dry. "I now know why they name this forest Witchwood, and not just after her we seek..."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"This fog. It presses in, like the very air is attempting to keep us away. The villagers are right to fear this place."

Katrine frowned slightly but didn't comment- she didn't want to reveal that she actually felt oddly comforted by it.

Soon enough they crossed the river and approached the tiny figure, it was like an effigy of some kind, sticks and feathers and other odds and ends arranged around a strange metallic disc. While she was attempting to examine it more closely, Katrine brushed it with a finger and the whole thing toppled over- and as it did, the fog around them seemed to clear, the entire area becoming less dense and easier to see, and yet the fog was still present... and off in the distance it looked as thick as ever. "Perhaps there are more of these." She gestured to the Pawns. "Keep an eye out, knock them over if you see them, but try not to destroy them. We wouldn't want to anger her."

The Pawns nodded and spread out slightly, climbing over rocks and exploring not far away, though Katrine could hear them shouting to each other as they went so that they could stay in contact and not get lost in the fog. The way ahead was clear aside from more of the ever-present wolves along with a few spiders, and they found three more of the fog-effigies. One of them did get accidentally damaged, since the metal disc hit a rock when it was knocked over and jostled loose, but hopefully the witch wouldn't mind when the group finally found her...

As they continued, having to fight off another pack of wolves, Quina spoke up again. "This fog confounds me... is it always so in these woods? It's as if the very air strains to block our path."

"It does seem thicker than natural, but it clears a bit after we knock over those little effigies... Perhaps the witch dislikes visitors?"

Quina offered only a shrug in response, and the group continued their trek in silence for several more minutes, before a break in the trees ahead revealed a small cottage. It was the only manmade structure they'd seen so far aside from the effigies, and just like them it appeared to be built using nature as a vital component, built onto the side of a tree with stairs running up one particularly thick root, large boulders strewn about the clearing before it. It appeared that the area was being used as a garden, as Katrine could see herbs and other plants growing in abundance, even a small vegetable patch off to her right near the hillside that formed the 'walls' of the clearing on three sides.

Hiei spoke up as they descended the side of the clearing via a small path, the same one they'd been traveling since they entered the wood. "Tis a strange place, this. Is this what we seek?"

"That's what I'm thinking", Katrine replied. "This is the only house or home we've seen since we arrived."

Quina seemed to agree. "This must be it. Come on, cos."

The stairs were sturdier than they might appear, solidly nailed or otherwise secured to the root below, as they didn't even shift as the four of them climbed up the winding stair. There were no handrails, only around the small porch that extended from the home proper, a circle nestled against the trunk of a massive tree. A light shone from within, helping lend credence to the fact that the witch still lived here and perhaps was even home to greet them.

The group gathered around the door, and Quina knocked after hesitating a moment. "Begging your pardon, but we seek the witch of these woods."

They were met with a quiet 'come in', and Katrine pushed open the door, gesturing for Quina to enter before her.

The insides of the cottage looked much like the surroundings; homey and full of nature and life, plants here and there, herbs and vegetables hung from the rafters, even the odd rabbit and bird waiting to be cleaned and cooked, a flowerpot on the windowsill with a cheerful bloom to add color. The witch who greeted them inside... didn't even look like a witch, to Katrine's reckoning. She was small, short, raven-haired, rather beautiful, wearing a green dress, but didn't look particularly... 'witchy'. She looked much like a young woman, if anything. "Who are you looking for?" Even her voice was quiet and small.

"We seek a great and aged woman? Perhaps you might have seen her?"

The young woman rocked on her heels, hands clasped behind her back, and for a long moment didn't acknowledge the question. Katrine was about to ask again when she finally stood still and turned to face the group, rather than the fire. "The... witch?" She paused again, her face distant. "You seek... Grandmother?"

Katrine's eyes went wide and her eyebrows went into her hair, but she remained quiet for the moment. Maybe that's why the woman seemed so odd to her, she was young, but there was something else that she just couldn't put her finger on. It felt obvious but just out of reach, on the tip of her tongue...

"Your Grandmother...? Yes. Where might we find her? I would ask her aid in a dire matter.", Quina continued, and Katrine wondered if she thought this woman was as odd as she did. Her way of speaking was... stilted, like she was having trouble communicating.

"She is... dead. She... died. As all must." The woman spoke this like a matter of fact, even sounding untroubled by the fact that her own Grandmother no longer lived.

Quina's face fell, and Katrine knew she was disappointed. "Oh..." She hesitated a moment before continuing, deciding her quest was important enough to risk being a bit improper. "What of you, then? Know you aught of the Dragon? Can you read the Wyrmspeak?"

Katrine's head whipped around to face Quina, surprised to hear that was her real purpose. What could she have in Wyrmspeak that she'd want the Witch to read?

Her attention was drawn back to the young woman as she spoke again. "Gran told me... The Faith... knows. It cloaks... the dragon. Cloaks... the truth. Those who search for truth... outside the Faith... are branded as heretic." She shook her head, and Katrine let out a quiet sigh. She didn't know anything.

"So... so your Grandmother told you naught of the dragon, that the Faith might leave you be...", Quina spoke mostly to herself.

However, the woman nodded, bowing her head after a moment. "... yes."

"Then it seems we must turn to the Faith if we are to learn more." Quina's voice was surprisingly full of resolve, surprising Kat as she expected her friend to return back home.

"Quina..." Katrine extended her hand to her friend's shoulder, but Quina didn't acknowledge it for now.

"You have our thanks. We leave you in peace to return to our village." Quina bowed, which the woman returned, and began to walk outside.

Katrine hesitated, but turned to the young woman. "Thank you, ...?", she waited to see if the woman would give her a name.

"Selene."

"Thank you Selene, you were very helpful."

Excusing herself, Katrine hurried outside, watching Quina already making her way down the stairs. "Quina! Wait!", she held out a hand as she hurried downstairs, and Quina stopped just at the edge of the clearing to wait. "Why are you searching for someone who can read Wyrmspeak? What are you planning?"

"I found old tomes of the dragon in the church in Cassardis, cos. I read them, trying to find a cure for..." She reached out a hand, touching the spot on Katrine's chest where her skin had healed over. "Most of the books are written in Wyrmspeak. I had overheard the Witch mentioning she understood it once, but now she is gone..." Quina turned away. "I will join the Faith. I will find a cure for you, cos."

"Quina... I'm fine. You don't have to- Quina!" She lunged for her friend as Quina took off down the pathway, leaving Katrine standing alone as her Pawns caught up. She sighed softly, placing her hands on her hips. "Damnit, Quina..."

There was no stopping her when she caught an idea, and Kat doubted this time would be any different.

The path out of the Witchwood from the Witch's home was easy enough, filled with plants and foliage, several that Tyri identified as healing herbs, Greenwarish among them, which could be turned into tinctures and potions with a bit of work. With Quina having run off, Katrine decided now might be a good time to stock up, and she and the Pawns spent perhaps an hour, the day growing older and darker, to gather what they could, finally finishing under lanternlight- which the Pawns seemed to produce lanterns from... nowhere. She still didn't understand everything about them, and she just added this to the list.

They soon enough made their way free of the woodland, finding themselves out on the cliffside just above Cassardis, not even that far away. The entrance to the little pathway hidden by rocks and brush, nearly invisible from the road... "Imagine if we'd known this was here before? We could have skipped the whole journey..."

The group's trip back to Cassardis, aside from being shorter than expected, was also uneventful, not even wolves or goblins to bar their path or hinder them, meaning they got back just as night fell for good. Adaro was easy to find, having retired to his home for the evening. Katrine knocked and stepped inside when he beckoned, and he greeted her with a bright smile and arms extended for a hug.

"Quina is safe! Thank the Maker!" He practically crushed her with his hug, armor and all, and she was glad when he released her so she could breathe again. "Pray, forgive her. If she acts the fool, 'tis only 'cause concern o'erwhelms her sense."

Kat laughed quietly, smiling down at him. "It's fine, Adaro. It was no trouble."

"She's like you in that. Always setting off without so much as a thought..." He grinned and she spotted that mischievous twinkle in his eye.

She feigned offense, hands on her hips and a frown on her lips. "Hey now. I thought about what I was doing this time."

He nodded, placing a hand on Kat's shoulder. "Mostlike the fault of ill parenting... which makes the blame mine then, eh!?" He chuckled, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Kat shook her head, still smiling, until she realized something... "Where is Quina? Did she return home?"

"She returned scant hours before you did. Then took off again right after, bought passage with a wagon leaving toward the Capital."

"What!? Where?" Kat spun, following him as he made his way to the table.

"To the Abbey, outside of Gran Soren. She said she was to join the Faith, that she had discovered her calling in life." He didn't seem too worried, surprisingly... perhaps he'd known something like this would happen someday.

Katrine sunk into a convenient chair, her Pawns giving her a concerned look, her head dropped into her hands. "Oh Quina... just saved you and you ran off again..."

"Can you stay the night, minnow? Wouldn't want you running off in the dark."

"We'll spend the night, I think. But we must leave first thing tomorrow morning." Kat sat back, letting her head rest on the wall behind her with another sigh. "We have to escort a hydra head to the Capital to meet the Duke."

"A hydra!? The Duke!? Pray, tell me everything!" Adaro hurried to her side, excitement and worry clear on his features.

Katrine laughed, then relaxed in her chair, starting her tale. "Well, it all started this morning, when I woke up, the sound of screaming throughout the camp..."


	6. Heads and Tomes

The next morning the small group set out bright and early, having a nice hearty breakfast thanks to Adaro- well, Katrine at any rate. She refilled her stock of arrows and provisions at Aestella's on the way out, using some of the coin she'd earned before after taking care of the flower problem. The Pawns true to their word hadn't slept a wink, but Kat had been thankful for a peaceful, quiet bed at her own home that wasn't interrupted by screaming or monsters.

They traveled the now-familiar road between the Encampment and Cassardis without any trouble, any threats that could have troubled them being cleaned out by themselves on previous trips, or the guards from the Corps that patrolled the roads. They skirted the fortifications again rather than travel through, receiving a few waves from the guards on the walls and around the perimeter in the process. The road beyond was much more lonely, traveled only by animals, bandits, the occasional Pawn, and whatever convoys that passed between the Capital and the Encampment to keep the men there supplied.

What stood between them and the Waycastle where they would meet Mercedes and the Hydra head was only the road and wilderness, and whatever threats might find them along the way- which would be hopefully few.

It was barely an hour along their journey before the wind carried something to Katrine's ears, the sounds of combat and screaming. Her face pulled into a frown and she glanced to the Pawns, already drawing her daggers. They nodded to her, Hiei drawing his bow, Tyri her staff, and Scellia her sword and shield. She didn't know if they'd heard it too or they were just reacting to her own movements, but she was glad that they were as disciplined as they were.

She hurried up the road as quickly as she dared, the grade beginning to steepen as it traveled up the mountain range that ran down this side of the coast, to remain sure of her footing. As they crested a ridge and turned a bend in the road, she saw what was causing the commotion- bandits attacking a robed man and what appeared to be several Pawns, judging by the way they carried themselves and the way they fought. Katrine gestured forward with her daggers, hissing a 'Get them!' under her breath. She'd never fought a human before, but from the looks of things to save the Pawns and the man from the bandits, she wouldn't have a choice.

Katrine ran forward with her Pawns at her side, waiting until she was only steps away from an archer at the back of the group to announce her presence with a yell, and her dagger sank home into the back of the man's ribs. She still didn't completely understand what was guiding her, but she'd felt that 'force' twist her dagger to the side so that it'd slip between the bones to sink into the soft meat beyond.

Kat mentally ignored the feeling of wet heat on her hand and the gurgled scream of the man she'd just stabbed, turning instead to watch her Pawns as they joined the fight, Scellia charging headlong into the thickest group near the man in robes, who was currently screaming at the top of his lungs as the bandits struck him. Anger flared at the wanton cruelty the bandits showed toward their own kind, and Katrine gave herself to the fight.

The Bandit group was larger than Katrine's own party by several times, but the Pawns were clearly more skilled than they, and Katrine herself was no slouch with her Dragon-given knowledge of combat. Even so, they were nearly pushed back several times during the fight, the bandits scoring an injury that Tyri's magic or application of the poultices the Pawns had created overnight was necessary to fix. The Pawns that had been protecting the man, either as hired help or passers-by eventually all fell to the bandit's blades, but not before making a good account of themselves. Katrine got her first look at what happened when a Pawn died, as well, a semblance of the Rift appearing and withdrawing the body into itself.

Eventually they managed to overcome the group of bandits, the remainder taking off into the trees with curses spat in their direction as they ran, and Katrine and the Pawns hurried to the side of the man who the bandits had been attacking.

He appeared to be a young man, strong chin despite the blood across his face, blonde hair matted with sweat and more red, his green jerkin stained, the leather belt around his waist nearly torn free and hanging just by a few strands. Katrine carefully pushed the brown hood back across his head and gestured for Tyri to come closer, the Pawn already working on a healing spell. "Hey. I'm Katrine. These are my friends. We're here to help, okay?"

The man nodded, though he winced as the Pawn's healing magic worked it's way into him, closing wounds and stitching hurts, and after a few minutes of rest he was able to stand on his own two feet again, though he still clutched at his side where the bandits had been kicking him. "Thank you. I owe you a debt, ser... Thank you, truly. My name's Rowland."

"It's not a problem. We heard your screams and came as quickly as we could. Who were those men?" Katrine stood back to give him some space and let him breathe.

"They were of the southron bandits, from the look of them." He winced and shifted his stance to favor his other leg. "Worse than monsters, their kind... Thanks to you, I'm alive and whole, but those rats made off with all I had... Even took that magick book..."

"Magick book? What sort of book?" Kat crossed her arms and watched him, interest piqued.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Mm? Have an interest in such tomes, do you? This was Salomet's grimoire."

Rowland hesitated a moment, as if expecting her to recognize the name, but she just shook her head. She had no idea who that was supposed to be or if he was supposed to be important.

"He was a mage in Gran Soren, among a council. Went crazy, burned down the whole library before disappearing. Seems it chanced to survive the blaze when the old council's library burned down. 'Tis a rare and powerful tome, as I hear it told, so I bought it from a merchant of my acquaintance. If it truly holds power, the likes of Salvation would-" He stopped himself, clasping his hands together, and Katrine got the distinct impression he'd said something he didn't mean to. "Er, it matters not. I-in any case, 'tis lost now to those damnable thieves. Next our paths cross, I'll take them for all they're worth."

He frowned then, glancing from Katrine to her friends and back again. "Now, ah... I should probably continue on my way."

"Do you want to look for the book? Maybe one of the bandits we killed has it?"

"Oh, no." He began to edge away, his demeanor all of a sudden more cagey than before. Had he really said something that bad? "I should continue. The book's lost now, I'm sure of it." He edged further away from them before he simply turned and began to walk away, leaving Katrine confused and a bit insulted by his behavior. Had he noticed the Pawns and decided he didn't want to be around them?

Kat shook her head with a sigh as the man walked away, then gestured to the bodies with the Pawns. "We should bury them, make sure the animals can't get them. We can at least give them that." She frowned slightly. "And make sure none of them have any books on them."

It was perhaps an hour of work but they soon got the men buried, with all four of them working on graves for the fifteen or so bandits that had been among the company. They didn't have proper shovels but Scellia's shield and some rocks served well enough in the soft soil just off the road along the slope. In the process, while Tyri had been going through the men's belongings, putting together anything useful like the coin they'd been carrying, she had in fact found a small red book in one of them's possession. "What do you think it is, Arisen? Is it the book the man wanted?"

"Perhaps." Kat flipped a few pages, though they were filled with diagrams and words she didn't understand. "He's long gone by now, but I suppose we should keep it in case we see him again." She settled the book back into her pack and went back to work.

She knew she was using the task to distract herself from the fact she'd just killed her first men, but she didn't know what to think about it. Her 'Arisen instincts' or whatever they were had taken over when she'd seen them attacking the man and she'd just gone along for the ride. She knew she should feel _something_ about the whole thing, but her mind kept coming back to the words Rowland had spoken.

 _Worse than monsters, their kind..._

Katrine didn't like that it felt as... easy as it did, but she supposed the bandits had known what they were getting into when they began that life, just like she did when she'd decided to take on this adventure and the title of Arisen... whatever it would come to mean for her. She sat on a rock, resting and catching her breath, but she couldn't stop looking at her hands. She'd cleaned them long ago, and the dirt hid any remaining traces...

Hiei sat at her side and watched her for a long moment, the Pawn also taking a small breather. "What seems to be the problem, Arisen? Something troubles you."

"I've never killed a person before today. Wolves, goblins... never a human."

"It is not easy to take a life, Master. But at times it must be done to save another." He shifted slightly to get his feet underneath himself, then stood again.

Kat sighed quietly but nodded her head. "You're right. If we're to do this, there will probably be many more."

Hiei watched her for a long moment as the Pawns tended to do, but eventually nodded once and headed back off to help the others.

With the bandits taken care of and their other belongings merrily burning away on a small pyre, the group set off again, now a few hundred coins richer. They made good time, no other disturbances finding them along the road, though the climb was something Katrine wasn't used to. She'd lived her entire life at sea level and she felt a bit lightheaded up here, as this path was much higher than the pass they'd had to take yesterday to cross over toward the Witchwood. Even so, she got used to it quickly, unsure if it was her Arisen abilities or if it was that quick.

The Pawns, for what it was worth, didn't seem to have any trouble and chattered along as much as ever. They continued pointing out the useful 'the crags along the road may contain useful resources' to the mundane 'The weather is clear, a good day for traveling, Arisen', to the repetitive and annoying 'Wolves travel in packs!' any time they spotted a pawprint in the dirt, and judging by how often they repeated it, this area must be lousy with wolves, though Katrine never spotted any.

It was early in the afternoon, a fair part of the day spent traveling, when the Waycastle finally came into sight, an old and dilapidated structure with a metal gate and stone walls protecting a bridge across the pass. The Enlistment Corps were easily visible, the men having set a small camp just outside the Waycastle, and Katrine could see Mercedes' white cloak standing near the Hydra's head upon the wagon. A few more minutes of walking saw the band arrive, greeted by many of the soldiers and even a few cheers that Mercedes gently shushed.

She greeted Katrine with a smile and hands on her hips, one once again resting on the hilt of her sword as she looked Katrine over. "We were not expecting you to arrive before the day was through, Arisen. I trust you rested well, given the hour. The Arisen rose late this day, eh?"

Kat couldn't help but laugh at that, shaking her head. "We ran into a bit of trouble on the way back from Cassardis and our journey yesterday. Bandits along the road, but we dispatched them and saved a young scholar."

Mercedes nodded at the explanation, then raised a hand and shouted to her gathered soldiers. "We make for the Capital, men! Like as not, the cart will draw beasts along the way. Stay vigilant!" She grinned slightly, glancing toward Katrine, then turned back to her men. "But fear not. We walk with the Arisen, slayer of hydras!"

A cheer rose up from the men at that, and Katrine felt her cheeks coloring slightly at the praise. She coughed slightly and turned away, not wanting them to see how red her cheeks at gotten. Mercedes again calmed her men, and turned back to Katrine and her Pawns. "It raises morale", she explained with a shrug, then pointed upward toward a man on the gate Katrine hadn't seen before. "We go!", she called, and with a nod he and several others began to raise the heavy gate across the bridge.

"Let us go!", cried Scellia, and their journey began.

Katrine stayed up front, near Mercedes as they and the cart, pulled by a strong and healthy-looking Ox, made their way across the ancient structure. Mercedes turned to her partway across the bridge with a smile. "It is good to 'ave you here, Arisen. Even Goblins can be a threat, and they walk the roads openly of late." She turned back to the soldiers. "Take no chances men! Cut them down on sight."

Kat nodded, placing her hands on her daggers, just in case. "Why is that? A cyclops and a hydra, goblins on the roads, even wolves are more aggressive than I have heard them being before. What has happened?"

"There are monsters all around us now, where only a few years past these lands were more or less peaceful. The Dragon's return 'as made them bold, Arisen, they attack without a care. Perhaps the beast 'as brought them with him from lands beyond, we cannot be sure. But even the old tales warn that when the Dragon returns, so do the creatures of the world.", the Captain explained.

Katrine frowned, but nodded. If anyone were to know, it would be someone in charge like Mercedes...

It wasn't long before her words proved true, as they were only a few minutes past the Waycastle and barely into the mountain pass that the alarm of 'Goblins!' went up from the Pawns.

With the soldiers at their side('Their kind hates ice and fire both!'), the Goblins were quickly dispatched('A weakling in numbers is a weakling still!'), proving no threat for the seasoned men and Katrine's party('Goblins ill like fire!').

However, they soon encountered another threat that Katrine had never seen before, Harpies, winged women-birds with bewitching voices that sang at the men and Ox, trying to put them to sleep. Either they ignored the Arisen or weren't interested in other women, which proved to be their downfall as that allowed her to snipe them from the sky with her bow and Hiei's own. Even Scellia managed to clip one of them with her sword and knock it out of the sky as it swooped particularly low.

At a glance from Katrine, questioning what was happening when they had to fight off the third such attack, one of the soldiers answered instead. "This pass is a nest for every manner of foul beast, Arisen. No man can say where they will strike from. Pray, be careful."

Mercedes explained as Katrine rejoined her at the head of the caravan. "That is Ser Cyrus, one of my sergeants. One of the more experienced men among us." The telltale flap of wings interrupted them once more, however. "They come from above! Ready yourselves!"

"Watch the sky!", cried Scellia, and the battle was joined yet again.

They finally fought off the last remnants, a small pack of wolves('Wolves travel in packs!' for the hundredth time just today) and a few more goblins. Mercedes seemed just as exasperated as the Arisen, as it practically felt like they were wading through an entire stronghold of the creatures. "Are they drawn to the blood of the Hydra? Stay vigilant men!"

Their path was peaceful for some time, passing a cottage where two men stood outside to wave the soldiers along- how they survived out here with all the monsters, wolves, harpies and such was beyond Katrine, but she was glad to see that not JUST monsters inhabited this area. But soon enough they passed them, and they were among the silent stones again.

The canyon narrowed ahead, as the Pawns helpfully reminded them, informing Katrine and the soldiers alike to watch their heads. The pass, aside from containing more wolves and harpies, seemed home to another Waycastle, though this one seemed abandoned...

"Goblins, Arisen!"

Nothing in Gransys was abandoned, apparently, judging by the band of Goblins that came streaming out of the stonework toward them. "They 'ave killed the defenders! Cut them down, men!"

"Keep watch for falling rocks on the path ahead, Captain.", cautioned Ser Cyrus, and sure enough the rumbling of the cart, or the calls of Mercedes and her men, or the screeching of the goblins, seemed to dislodge something, as a massive boulder came tumbling off the mountainside just ahead of them. It missed the men and Katrine's band, but did manage to clip one of the charging goblins with a bit of shrapnel as it crumbled, sending him tumbling into the canyon wall.

The rest of the goblins soon followed suit, whether by blade or spell or arrow, and even their Ox managed to score a kill by spearing a goblin through the middle with a horn as it attacked, which they had to retrieve before the animal would continue. Katrine had to climb up with Hiei to draw the bridge and secure it with one of the men so that the cart could roll on, but as soon as they did, more Goblins poured in from the now-open gate.

"There must be an end to them! Hold fast!", called Mercedes as battle was joined yet again.

Katrine wasn't sure just how many goblins fell beneath her blades, but she knew that night was falling as they finally seemed to thin out. She stood among a jumble of bodies just inside of the gate, and as she turned to look she realized that not every man of the Corps had survived the onslaught, as it seemed that more goblins had joined from the rear of their cart in the fighting. Katrine quickly made her way over to take stock of the damage, Mercedes and Ser Cyrus appeared to be okay, as did her pawns. However, two of the men of the Corps were not so lucky.

After a short service that Mercedes conducted in their memory, she placed them upon the cart that they might be buried within Gran Soren and their group continued onward.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save all of your men, Mercedes."

The Captain waved an arm with a quiet sigh as peace fell upon them once more. "We would 'ave lost many more if you were not here, Arisen. I am thankful that you joined us in time. The men are as well, though they may not express so. You fought well at the gate, do not despair."

Katrine nodded, though she still felt sorry for the fallen. Mercedes offered her a small smile, but soon she returned to her duties. "Stay vigilant until we're in Gran Soren's gates, men!"

Kat left her to tend to her men to fall back near her Pawns, who were guarding the rear after the two men fell. "What is Gran Soren like?", she asked her companions.

Tyri spoke up after a moment. "It is a grand city, the largest in Gransys. Ruled by Duke Edmund Dragonsbane, who defeated the dragon nearly seventy years ago."

"You mean the dragon's been defeated before? How has it returned?" Katrine couldn't imagine there'd be more than one dragon, how could it still be attacking?

"The dragon returns every hundred years, Arisen.", spoke Scellia. "It returned early this time, though this Pawn does not know why."

Katrine nodded and pursed her lips, leaving them for now to return to the head of the small convoy in case more threats presented themselves. She lit her lantern, as did many of the soldiers, to provide light and some comfort as night continued to fall, their journey having carried them from early afternoon to late evening. She knew many of the men would be getting tired, especially with the heavy combat they'd been under along the way, as even she was starting to feel the fatigue.

"How much further to Gran Soren, Mercedes?"

"It is not long now, Arisen. We should be able to see the city soon, a few more bends."

As if on queue, the path ahead of them opened up, and Katrine was struck silent for one of the few times in her life as she gazed out upon the expansive vista before her. She'd thought the Vestad Hills were beautiful, but seeing the glittering jewel of Gran Soren spread out before her took her breath away like that couldn't have. Fields and ruined walls surrounded the city, countless lights flickering along the walls and inside the city proper, which seemed to be arranged upon a large hill that commanded a massive area around it. The mountain range they were traveling through continued off to the West where it shrunk and disappeared into a large forest, which was the Cursewood if her memory served, where Quina would soon be arriving if she continued on toward the Abbey nestled within. To the north were the Deos Hills and the old Bluemoon Tower.

Mercedes stopped at Katrine's side, remaining silent for a moment as the cart and it's cargo continued along past them. "She is beautiful, no? The largest city in Gransys and her capital. The Duke will be waiting for us, we sent a messenger ahead yesterday. We will rest tonight when we arrive, and then meet with him in the morning."

"Wait, I have to meet the Duke?", that realization drew her back to the situation at hand, her gaze turning to the Captain instead.

Mercedes laughed. "Perhaps. But I believe not yet. I will be sure to tell him that zis head is your doing, however."

Katrine nodded, pursing her lips. She wondered if she'd have time to get new clothes... her armor wouldn't do for a proper visit to a court like the Duke's.

Mercedes turned to face her men, using her blade to point toward the city. "There, ahead! Gran Soren is in sight! We are nearly there, men! Now march!"

A weary cheer went up from the soldiers at the sight of their destination, and it seemed to put a renewed vigor in their step to see it so close at hand. Katrine knew it lifted her spirits as well, after their grueling trek to make it this far.

Their destination continued to grow, and despite a sense of foreboding from the empty plains outside of the city, the rest of their journey proved peaceful, much to the relief of their entire convoy. Mercedes didn't show it, but Katrine knew she must be getting tired as well, as she'd been fighting same as the rest of them. The city's walls soon came into view, torches lit in bowls and sconces along a bridge to light their way, and Katrine could hear the men at the gates whispering and murmuring to themselves as they saw their weary band and their cargo approaching the gates.

As the cart finally groaned to a halt in front of the gates, a collective sigh went up from the men as they finally allowed themselves to relax and take a breather, several of them taking seats along the edges of the bridge to rest their aching feet and legs. Mercedes climbed onto the edge to address them, and Katrine could see that she was proud to have made it with the men she recruited, many of whom had been farmers, fishers, and other common folk before the Captain got ahold of them. "We 'ave arrived. Well done, men. A hydra's head is a fine prize. His Grace will be pleased with the Corps's work. Walk proud through these streets, men. We are heroes to the people of Gran Soren!"

She turned to Katrine, then, a hand extended. "And we could not have done it without our newest companion, the Arisen. Though men fell, our journey would have been much harder, and more of us would be laying on the back of this cart had she not held the gate during the goblin attack! Though we are all heroes to the people of Gran Soren..." She clasped a hand to her chest and bowed. "You have my thanks, Lady Katrine."

Kat felt her face flush again, and she raised her hood over her head to hide the red in her cheeks. "You honor me, Captain Mercedes."

The woman laughed, hopping down from the railing to clasp a hand to Katrine's shoulders. "You honor me with your spirit, Arisen. I am glad to have journeyed at your side."

She turned to her men, raising a hand. "Good work! Rest up, so that we may approach the keep in the morning!"

Katrine nodded, stepping inside the gate as it was pulled aside for them. She'd find the Inn and rest, sure that she'd sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow...


	7. Everfalling Myrmidons

Mercedes stopped Katrine just inside the gate, gesturing to the Hydra head on the cart, some of the townsfolk already gathering around to peer at it. "It is good that we arrived as late as we did. We may 'ave 'ad trouble getting the cart to the castle otherwise, and as it is we will still have to push them out of the way I imagine." She put her hands on her hips, one on the hilt of her sword, and smiled at the Arisen. "I'll make for the castle directly and offer my report to His Grace. I'll 'ave word sent for you, friend, when he wishes to meet you. Pray, sojourn in the capital awhile." She gestured toward the square which appeared to be a market. Even at this late hour, those that weren't practically swarming over the hydra head were shopping, mingling, having ale at the tavern...

Katrine nodded, turning back to Mercedes. "I will. We'll find a room at the Inn, hopefully that'll make us easier to find." She glanced back to her Pawns with a little smile. "Probably just one bed. I don't think they sleep. And we'll keep an eye out around town, check on things. See if there's anyone we can help."

Mercedes gave a small little smile at that. "There are probably many who need your help. Be well, Arisen." She turned and gestured with an arm, motioning for the men to get the cart moving again. "To the castle men! Step lively!"

Kat watched a moment as they went, having to push a few people out of the way, but soon enough she turned to find an Inn- it'd be good to have a room secured before they went off adventuring who knows where. She sighed and turned to her Pawns, about to speak, when she heard someone clearing her throat directly behind her. She turned, coming face to face with a shorter, stout man with dark skin, wearing a faded red tunic.

"Ah, fortune smiles upon me. Well met, Ser Arisen." His voice was deep and rich, and he punctuated his greeting with a short bow.

Katrine's eyebrow went up, disappearing into her bangs, as she looked down at the man. "Um. Hello." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "... how do you know I'm the Arisen?"

He laughed, clapping a hand to his belly. "One needs only listen to the rumors of the world, Arisen, and I am very good at that." He slapped himself in the forehead a moment later. "Forgive my manners." He extended a hand with a bright smile. "I'm called Mason, if it please you."

"Katrine.", she replied, giving his hand a firm shake and returning a smile of her own. "Good to meet you, Mason."

"Now you're come to the Capital a conquering hero, you'll need aught to do, eh?" He grinned knowingly, glancing between herself and her Pawns.

"Well, we were going to get a room...", she put her hands on her hips, trying to stand the way Mercedes did, with her hands resting on the hilts of her daggers. "But having a bit of extra gold to go around would be nice."

Mason smiled, tapping his nose with a finger. "My word to you: begin with the Pawns." Katrine glanced back to her companions, who seemed to be amusing themselves by observing all the people... though Tyri was digging around in the fountain in the middle of the square, dress and shoes soaked up to mid-calf, and Katrine had to fight the urge to cover her face with her hand. "Inquire about them here in Gran Soren."

He grinned a little wider as he caught sight of the Pawn in the fountain. "Like as not, their kind's woven tight into the fate of the Arisen. If you'd know your destiny, know them."

She nodded. "I think I've learned a bit about that already. They're tied to this whole mess, I'm sure of it."

Mason but a hand to his chin, as if judging her for a moment. "Ah, say, friend, have you chanced upon a strange old man of late? Shady mien, queer mumblings...?"

Katrine's eyes went a little wider, and she nodded. "You know, I saw an old man, missing an eye, red robes... he said some strange things to me at Cassardis."

Mason nodded with an 'aah'. "They call him the Elysion. A name I hear far too oft these days..."

"The Elysion, huh?"

He nodded. "Well, keep the man in mind. I've business with him myself... Heads a group called Salvation..." He crossed his arms, glancing behind Katrine toward the fountain, where some people were starting to mumble about 'that damn Pawn' fishing around in it.

Katrine turned, putting a hand to her mouth. "Tyri, get out of the fountain please!"

"Of course, Arisen!", came the reply, though she kept carrying the bag she'd been filling with coins from the fountain.

Kat sighed, then turned back to Mason to ask him how he knew all this... but he'd disappeared, vanished into the crowd. She pursed her lips, then glanced to her side to find Hiei.

"We will likely see him again, Arisen.", he reassured her.

"I don't know whether to be worried or comforted by that." Still, she shook her head and looked toward Hiei, Scellia standing nearby, and Tyri making her way over. "Where would we go if we wanted to meet other Pawns in the city?"

"We should like as not attempt to find lodgings, Arisen.", piped up Scellia. "Then perhaps seek out the Pawn Guild later."

"Pawn... Guild? You have a guild?" Katrine raised an eyebrow again, but they seemed content to remain silent for now after that little revelation.

She remembered seeing a sign as they walked in, and with a little scanning of the roofs nearby, it wasn't that difficult to locate once more. A large building with a sign announcing it as the "Gran Soren Union Inn" hanging over the front door. As they stepped inside, Tyri spoke up again. "'Tis not the last we'll call upon this Inn, I'll warrant."

Katrine couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile. Getting a secured room here was the whole reason they'd come inside... She stopped short as she realized the man behind the counter, dressed at least somewhat formally with a handkerchief around his neck and a small fur hat on his head, came around the side of it to extend a hand, a look of awe in his eyes. "Are you the Arisen the men of the Corps spoke of? You've a plainer air than I'd expected..."

She couldn't decide if that was meant as an insult or a complement, but she shook the man's hand regardless, and he smiled just as brightly as he had before. She decided maybe it was meant as an odd sort of complement, then... "Well, yes. How did you know?"

He smiled a bit. "The weaponry does give it away a little."

Kat flushed a fraction, giving him a single nod. She should have thought about that before...

"Ah, forgive me", he stated as he realized what he'd stated. "I spoke poorly. I'd simply imagined a sort of... figure pulled right from legend." He gave her hand a few more shakes, then stepped away and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Pray, allow me to begin anew."

Katrine nodded, and he began. "I am Asalam, and this is my Inn, though we deal in a number of trades here. I hope this is the first of many visits, ser. I am at your service."

"We're just looking for a room at the moment..." She glanced back to her companions, who looked like they were attempting to look natural but stood out like a set of sore thumbs regardless. "And we're looking for some information on the Pawn Legion."

"Oh?" He clasped his hands together again. "You wish to learn of the Pawn Legion? Then the shortest path to the answers you seek leads west from here. There you'll find Gran Soren's Pawn Guild. It is a gathering place for their kind. Just tell the sentries you have business with the guild. They'll let you past."

"... huh. Well, alright. Thank you so much, Asalam. And as far as a room..." She began to fish out her coin purse.

"Certainly!"

They exited the Inn the next morning a few coins lighter, a key to her own room at the Inn in her pocket. She turned to look at her Pawn friends and gave them a smile. "So, shall we head to the Pawn Guild?" With a nod from them, having gotten more specific directions from Asalam, they set off. Not far from the Inn's own door they found the side street that the Innkeeper had mentioned, moving past the Armorer and an Herbalist, two places that Katrine had taken note of so that she could make use of their services later when she had more coin to her name. Her purse was feeling heavier than it had when she left, between the bandits and what Tyri had managed to get out of the fountain, but she certainly wouldn't consider herself rich by any stretch.

A few minutes' walk down the way saw them stopped by a few soldiers, likely the 'sentries' that he had mentioned. One of them held out a hand, gesturing for them to stop. "State your business."

"We're trying to find the Pawn Guild." Katrine waved a hand toward her companions, who followed steadfastly behind. "I need to ask them a few questions."

He lifted his head, thumbs stuck in the belt wrapped around the waist of his armor as he looked over her and the three others. "The Pawn Guild, is it?" He considered for a moment, then gave her a nod. "All right. Through here and to the left. Just don't make a nuisance of yourself, aye?" Katrine nodded, and the man stepped to the side to wave their little group through.

They passed through the opening in the wall, revealing more fields much like they'd seen outside of the city, as well as what appeared to be a blacksmith and a few other industrial types of buildings. Then, nestled in against the walls around the city, she saw what had to be the Pawn Guild, judging by the amount of people standing awkwardly around the outside of the building.

Katrine and her companions made their way down toward it, a long slope between themselves and the apparent Pawn Guild. "Why are there so many Pawns standing around outside of the Guild? Do they not have their own Arisen to serve?"

"Pawns who have lost their masters often wander Gransys searching for a purpose. Many of them travel here to the Guild. Pawns who are defeated in battle may be retrieved from the Rift, but their Arisen is not so easily recovered.", explained Tyri.

Kat pursed her lips at that thought, that if she were to fall her companions would be left without a purpose... She shook her head to clear her mind, she didn't need something like that taking over her thoughts at the moment. As they walked down the slope, she picked up a certain sound... She stopped, turning to the Pawns. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, Master?"

"Someone's... crying?" Tilting her head to the side, she began to follow the sound, having to slide down the little slope between the path they were walking and some of the open buildings, her ears leading her to what appeared to be one of the blacksmiths... She poked her head around the building to find a man hunched over what appeared to be someone asleep, or judging by the way he was crying, a body. "Is everything alright here?"

He ignored her for now, and she decided that based on the way he was acting and crying, it was in fact a body. "Merciful Maker... Please... Please, no..." She could see some kind of red gems clutched in his hands that he held against the body's chest, though she had no idea what they were.

"Sir? What happened...?" Katrine stepped just inside of the door, motioning for the Pawns to stay outside.

Realizing she was present, he turned to face her, still kneeling on the floor. "Ser! Ser, I..." He looked to her weapons and the armor she wore. "I know 'tis not a matter fit to thrust upon a stranger, but... Please. I ask only that you listen a while... Just a short while." He set the gems he clutched into his lap, his head hung to stare at them.

Katrine nodded and sat down next to him, adjusting herself so that her weapons wouldn't scratch up his floor. She wasn't against staying and listening for a moment if it helped the man deal with his obvious pain.

"Thank you, ser..." He lifted his head to look at her, but even that small motion seemed too much for him to bear, but in that short glimpse she could see the streaks where tears had fallen down his face. "This child is..." His voice caught in his throat as he turned back to look at the body on the floor. " 'Tis my son... was my son." He choked up again, and Katrine reached out to place a hand upon his shoulder. "His heart stopped not an hour past."

"I am so sorry...", was all she could think to say. She could only imagine how Adaro or Quina would feel were she to fall in battle... she imagined he must be feeling much the same pain.

"Always weak, his sweet heart..." The man put his hands to his face, and Katrine could hear quiet sobs again for a moment before he gathered himself. "Since he was but a babe... I had long known he would not live long. But to see it... to watch him slip from my grasp... I am left with naught by rage at my impotence. Fain to try any means that I might to bring him back when he left, I looked to magick. Even curses..." He shook his head. "Anything to bring him back to me when the time came... I know, I knew it for madness, but still..."

Katrine gave his shoulder a squeeze, but didn't know what else to say, what to tell him to try to ease his pain, instead allowing him to continue to speak.

He shook his head again, and picked up the gems had had placed in his lap. "Here... pray accept these, ser. For listening to me in my grief..."

He held them out to her, and Katrine carefully took them. They looked like chunks of softly-luminous ruby, pieces of a larger whole that might fit together, but some of their construction was still missing. "What are these?"

"The first of these stones I bought from a merchant my son and I passed in our travels. He spoke of a powerful magick within it. Gather rocks such as this together, he said, and even the dead shall wake... Not that I am one to blindly believe in such tales, mind. Yet still... I thought there no harm in trying. Anything to save my son... And so I searched. But by the time I found the second, the whole pursuit rang hollow. My son was not long for this world, and try as I might..." He turned back to his son, and Katrine realized why he had been holding the stones atop the boy's chest. He'd been trying to fit them together, so their magic would work to bring him back to life.

" 'Tis a vain hope to seek immortality in such trinkets, I know. I felt a fool for having e'er believed it." He sounded so defeated, Katrine couldn't help but feel a tear coming to her eye. "They are called Wakestones, ser... Perhaps you can find a third. Someday."

Katrine nodded, carefully placing the pieces of gemstone into her pack. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, please... I've taken enough of your time. Leave me now. Many thanks to you for listening to me." The man turned again, placing his head upon the boy's chest, and Katrine nodded.

"I am sorry for your loss." She stood and made her way outside as the sounds of soft crying began to come from within the blacksmith again.

The three Pawns had been waiting for her, and Tyri spoke up as she returned to them. "The stories say that if three Wakestone Shards are brought together, they will form a full Wakestone in the shape of a beating heart. If placed upon the chest of a person who has died, or within proximity of someone who dies while they are in their possession, it is said they can bring the dead to life."

"What about his son? Could we find a third?"

The Pawns shook their heads. "I am sorry, Master, but they are exceedingly rare. It is amazing that he even found the two."

Katrine nodded with a sigh. "I see. I wish there was something we could do." She glanced back to the blacksmith building she'd just left and gave her head a single shake. "Come on then, we should go see what's going on in the Pawn Guild."

From the blacksmith it was only a short walk to arrive at the Pawn Guild, an unassuming building that looked much like an Inn, it only stood out thanks to the relatively large number of Pawns standing around outside of the building. They were perhaps waiting to be hired by adventurers, the guard, or anyone else who might need their services. Pawns often wandered the roads, traveling, delivering packages, going where their employers told them.

Katrine stepped inside and took stock of the building, a small table that appeared to be a check-in in one corner, a large notice board for jobs and other work, and further inside near some tables and bookshelves rested another of the Rift Stones. That made four that Katrine had seen so far, one in Cassardis, one in the Encampment, another just outside the Waycastle the Corps had been waiting at, and this one. "Those seem to be relatively common."

"Pawns need be available should an Arisen wish for their services, Master."

Kat nodded, then realized she'd caught the attention of a man standing near the back of the room, next to the Rift Stone. She wasn't sure if he was a man or a Pawn, he wasn't wearing the armor and weapons that many of the others did... Still, she stepped closer in order to speak to him, as he seemed to be waiting for her to approach.

As soon as he began to speak, she knew he was a Pawn, as he had the flat quality to his voice that her companions shared, and the fact that he seemed to be able to tell her an Arisen at a glance. "Welcome, Arisen. We have awaited your coming. This Pawn is called Barnaby. I attend the affairs of the Pawn Guild."

Katrine inclined her head with a smile. "Good to meet you Barnaby."

He returned a smile before continuing. "The guild serves as a place of rest for Pawns, and as the gate to the Everfall."

"The Everfall? What is that?" Katrine glanced down a doorway she spotted in the wall, but it just appeared to lead down a flight of stairs, she couldn't see what was at the bottom.

"The Everfall lies beneath Gran Soren", he answered by way of explaining, " 'tis a place of great importance to our kind." He clasped his hands together and his entire demeanor seemed to shift to the happier. "But for now, let us rejoice in the coming of the Arisen, the light that guides the Legion." He raised his hand to display his Pawn symbol, as did many of the others within the building.

Katrine's eyebrow once more disappeared into her hair, but she didn't speak for the moment, preferring to let him continue and explain himself.

"Pawns do not feel the same drive and need to self-improve that Humans do, Arisen. They need one such as yourself to give them a purpose in life and a reason for being." He bowed slightly at the waist. "We are very glad to have you among us."

"You don't speak like the others. Why is that?" He sounded more... lively, if still flat, and seemed more self-sure.

"This Pawn has lived long among the Humans, and learned to affect their mannerisms better than most. The Arisen that this Pawn followed died long ago, and an injury was sustained that prevented further travel. This guild was established so that Pawns could have a place within Gran Soren that would be safe and a place that they could call their own, to rest and recuperate if necessary. It has worked very well so far."

Katrine glanced around herself, at the Pawns inside and the ones that were standing outside, then turned back to him with a smile. "I would have to agree with that. Is there anything that needs doing? Tasks or jobs? We have time to wait until we are called to the Duke's Manse."

He hesitated a moment, wringing his hands as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her or not. He certainly was good at pretending to be a Human... "It grieves me to burden you, weary from your travels as you must be, but I fear trouble brews."

She nodded, placing her hands on her hips, giving her Pawns a glance before she turned back to him. "Well, let's have it then."

"You have my thanks, Arisen. This way, please." He held out a hand toward the doorway she'd noticed before, and then lead the group downstairs. Another room greeted them, this one with more tables and bookshelves, very nearly a library, with another notice board against the wall. It had a dusty sort of air to it, like it wasn't often visited, unlike the one upstairs which had felt practically cozy.

He turned to face them as he reached a metal door set into the wall which led to a much-smaller staircase that spiraled away into the dark, after unlocking it with a key. "Beyond lies the Everfall, an ancient place that sleeps beyond Gran Soren's stones. We Pawns have long served as keepers of the entrance of this place. But since the Dragon's coming..." Katrine had to hold back a sigh. It seemed like the Dragon's influence could be felt everywhere in Gransys. "A strange aura has filled the Everfall. A..." He hesitated again, his brows drawing together. "Presence."

"What kind of presence do you mean?"

"We are not sure. But if it be some omen of evil to come, we cannot allow it to go unchecked. I ask that you seek out the cause of the chance, or some proof of what's happened."

Katrine nodded. "Sounds easy enough."

"The Everfall is a place unique unto itself. This is not a simple task, nor a favor I ask lightly. Which is why I ask you, Arisen. Please, lend us your aid." He clasped his hands together in front of himself in a pleading gesture.

She placed a hand on top of his own and gently forced them down. "I will help you, Barnaby." She glanced behind herself to Scellia, Hiei, and Tyri. "WE will help you."

He nodded again, then gently pushed the door open. Behind her, she felt a hand on her arm, and turned to find Scellia gently gripping her sleeve. "A queer feeling weighs on my chest, Master... a foreboding..."

"A foreboding?" She glanced to the other two, who also nodded, concerned expressions on their faces. "Then we will have to be careful, won't we?" She stepped to the grate and pushed it aside, heading down the darkened staircase, lighting her lantern as she went.

When the staircase ended, they found themselves in a claustrophobic hallway not much taller than Katrine herself, and her hair brushed against the roof every few steps as she moved. She hoped that the rest of the dungeon wouldn't be like this, though she could see a literal light at the end of the tunnel, as well as what appeared to be a larger walkway. "Why do you suppose they call it the Everfall?", she asked, though she needn't wait for long to get her answer...

As they exited the tunnel into the ruin proper, it became readily apparent why the ruin had the name that it did. They found themselves in a massive underground chamber, and Katrine found her works swept away by the sheer majesty of it all, especially once she stepped to the edge and actually got to see the expanse in all it's glory. The barrel of the structure, the open center, fell away into inky darkness, and a stone kicked over the side took nearly a full half minute to reach the bottom. Above them was a ceiling that appeared to be carved of the living stone itself, arching into a massive dome. The entire structure curled away to a destination far below, where she could see some sort of purple light glowing faintly in the darkness of the bottom.

Katrine pushed herself away from the edge and realized she'd been holding her breath, letting it out in a soft sigh as she faced her Pawns to give them a nod. "We continue, then."

She drew her weapons, finding the hilts resting in her hands to be reassuring as she took her first steps into the still air of the Everfall proper.


	8. The Everfall

As the group began to descend into the Everfall, Katrine started to feel as if she could understand the feeling of dread that her Pawns were experiencing- something about this place just didn't feel right in the slightest, even the very air felt hostile to their presence. Strange sounds echoed up to her through the darkness, air currents carried whispers, and the entirety of the Everfall smelled of dusty, old death. She nearly jumped when one of the Pawns spoke, so tense had she gotten, and she had to place a hand on her chest just to try to still the rising dread that the place brought her.

"I think we should get to the bottom of this and then get out as quickly as we can. Something about this place is very, very wrong." The Pawns seemed in accordance, as even they seemed quieter than normal.

The only threat they faced for some time was a small collection of oddly-aggressive bats that they had to fend off and the dark oppressiveness of the Everfall itself, though that threat remained as intangible as ever. The path they had to take descended slowly in a ring around the great barrel of the dungeon, and the slope almost seemed designed to infuriate, as it was just steep enough to force steps to be faster and make standing awkward without ever giving one's legs a rest.

Katrine called for a stop for a moment perhaps one 'loop' down into the structure, spotting bodies laying on the floor ahead of them, one draped across an old wooden crate. "What do you suppose those are? Explorers? Defeated Pawns?" She placed a hand on her chin as she considered. "No, it couldn't be Pawns, they return to the Rift..."

Gesturing for her Pawns to remain silent, she withdrew her bow after returning her daggers to their sheath on her hips. The bodies ahead seemed innocuous enough, perhaps it was just the trepidation that this place put into her, but she wanted to check before she got too much closer. She nocked an arrow and drew back her bow, taking careful aim... she loosed her missile into the leg of one of the bodies. If there was nothing wrong, she'd just retrieve it and they'd be on their way...

Her suspicions were proven correct, however, when the body groaned, low and deep, and began to push itself to it's feet. "Undead, Arisen!" cried the Pawns, as they rushed forward to meet them.

Their newest foe was likely the reason for the stench of death that seemed to permeate the underground expanse, as it only grew as they drew closer. They proved to be relatively easy prey, slow and lumbering as they were, but also imminently unsettling. Even as they fought Katrine and their band, they complained of ailments and problems, one female undead even crying constantly about 'my baby' in their rotten voice. They splattered tar-like substance across the group as they were cut down, though blades went through them like they weren't there. Arrows proved relatively useless as they'd pass right through, meaning even Hiei had to get up close and personal with his own pair of daggers.

The group was cut down soon enough, leaving the four of them cleaning up minor wounds from their assailants before they could continue on. "I thought Undead were a myth", Katrine admitted a few minutes after they'd moved on. "I had no idea that they actually existed. Or that they were so... sad."

"Those appeared to be from some time ago", explained Tyri. "The fresher the corpse the stronger the creature created. It is unlikely those had moved for many years."

"So you think that whatever's causing the problem down here has been here for a while?"

"Perhaps, Arisen. The presence of the Undead certainly suggests it."

Katrine pursed her lips and shook her head as they continued on, that revelation just making her hate this place even more...

"Even though this place lies within the walls of Gran Soren, we can find monsters even here...", spoke one of the Pawns, and Katrine couldn't help but nod.

"And we can't blame this one on the dragon, if it has been like this for long... why did the Pawn Guild not find another to take care of the problem?"

"Perhaps they were not aware, Arisen. It is unlikely many venture down here. The problem likely grew until it began to attempt to breach containment to reach the world above."

Their conversation was interrupted as they reached a large metal portcullis, stymieing them for a moment until a search with lanterns revealed a side passage. Just as they started to walk into it, Katrine paused as she heard a new noise, like planks of wood or something banging together. "Did you hear that?"

Scellia nodded, already having drawn her weapons to seek out the source of the noise. It led them back to the portcullis, and they soon realized that two piles of bones on the other side were starting to clank and batter against one another as if stirred by some un-felt wind. "What sorcery is this?", breathed the Pawn as she stepped away, and Katrine also drew her weapons defensively. They began to glow as some form of magic stitched the bones together, still clanking like a cursed windchime until two skeletons stood facing the group, bony smiles upon their skulls. They stood there for but a moment before they turned away, heading off toward no telling where.

"I think we should hurry, it is likely they seek to warn or awaken other skeletons.", spoke Hiei, and Katrine only agreed.

She pushed ahead toward the side tunnel they'd found, and they soon found themselves in what appeared to be some sort of crypt. More skeletons arose and the group had to work their way through them, the same reddish glow announcing yet another skeleton arising, some pushing out of the sarcophagi to their sides, others rebuilding from the bones being smashed apart by the group. Katrine had to resort to using her bow like a club even with the risk of breaking it, as her daggers did nearly nothing against their assailants.

Hard-fought battle saw them through toward the end, where they reappeared in the same hallway a short way down. Thankfully no one had sustained an injury this time, and aside from taking note of the lever that appeared to raise and lower the portcullis they didn't linger. Katrine chose not to throw the lever just yet as their actual progress hadn't been impeded and there was no telling what other effects it would have... she didn't want to chance waking something worse than skeletons or zombies in the depths of this place.

Their path continued ever downward, passing another group of Undead, and Katrine called for a pause as she heard another sound from the deep, something different. Crunching, tearing sounds from ahead, and as she snuck forward she caught sight of a creature she'd yet seen. It almost appeared like a Cyclops but smaller, hunched and furry, crunching upon what appeared to be the remains of more of the Undead creatures. She returned to the Pawns moments later and described her find in hushed tones. They would have to go through it if they wanted to progress, though as it was behind another portcullis it was likely at the exit of another side hallway.

"That appears to be an Ogre, arisen. Excited by women, stronger and faster than a Cyclops."

"Stronger and faster!?", Katrine hissed. "Great. We might attempt to sneak past it, then?"

The group nodded, and sure enough there was another side passage. Their attempt to sneak past the creature even seemed to be going well, until a rumbling from underfoot announced more undead rising from the very ground they walked upon, and battle broke out in the claustrophobic surroundings of the small hallway. This one appeared more a maintenance tunnel than a crypt, much smaller, and the fight was that much harder for it as even more zombies continued to rise from the ground as they killed off the ones already active.

When the battle finally ended an eerie silence fell upon the group, and Katrine turned to her Pawns, raising a finger to her lips to signal for quiet. They continued creeping along the tunnel, hoping the ogre wouldn't have been alerted by the sound... When they exited the tunnel that appeared to have been the case, until Katrine spotted it down the hallway just as it spotted her, having been searching for the source of the noise.

It began hooting and jumping, slapping it's feet and hands against the ground- if they didn't want to alert anything else in the area to their presence, they were doing a poor job of it.

"The sight of woman excites it, Arisen!', yelled her Pawns, Katrine rolling her eyes as all pretense of remaining quiet was lost.

Even so, the Ogre was between them and their destination, with them pinned between it and the portcullis, meaning the only way around was through it. Katrine raised a dagger and sounded the call. "Rain steel upon it!"

It charged them as they charged it, and nearly from the moment they engaged Katrine knew that fighting it was a bad idea. They'd never faced something so fast and so strong before, and certainly not at the same time, and their inexperience was made readily apparent. She didn't know how fast it was or how long she had to dodge it's attacks, and she was barely managing to stay clear as it swung it's arms, catching more than one glancing blow in the process. Scellia's shield was able to deflect attacks for now, but even Katrine could see the dents and deformation from the sheer strength behind the creature's blows.

Her own weapons, her daggers, didn't seem to do too much against the creature, thick fur covering it's limbs that prevented her from biting home, and even thrusting attacks couldn't pierce the thick mat of natural armor. Only Tyri seemed to be having any effect on it at all, but even then the fire she rained upon it just set fur aflame and had no lasting effect.

Their battle against the beast raged for minutes on, and all they had to show for it was bruises, dented armor, lack of breath, and clumps of hair strewn about. Katrine had managed to slice a finger on the thing's hand but even that had just served to enrage it and she'd caught a bad blow against her ribs as the thing backhanded her away. She didn't have time to catch a breather however as the thing just kept coming, never seeming to tire even as Katrine and her companions flagged under it's assault.

Her only resort seemed to be to attempt to climb the thing and see if the hair higher up was easier to penetrate, and she called for Scellia and Hiei to distract it while she did. Tyri caught it's fur aflame near it's head so it'd have a harder time seeing it, Scellia rapping her shield repeatedly with her weapon, Hiei pelting it with arrows, both to serve to distract the creature as long as possible. While they kept it occupied, she circled behind, climbing one of the pillars of the dungeon a ways to give herself an easier time.

As it turned it's back she lept toward it, leading with blades outstretched, and this time they found purchase on the thinner purchase of the thing's back, but just barely. One dagger was knocked from her grip as she landed, sending it spinning away to the side with a clatter of metal, and she had to grip into it's fur with her now-free hand in order to stay attached. Her other hand stabbed again and again, sometimes finding purchase, other times still being deflected by the fur, but still she was making progress, and soon the Ogre's own blood joined the other detritus clinging to it's fur.

A massive hand caught a glancing blow across her back, making her yelp in pain as the creature tried to swipe her off, and once it realized she was clinging to it's back, she felt it crouch. Guessing more than knowing what it was going to do next, she lept free as the thing leaped into the air, landing with a massive thud that shook the stone beneath it as it jumped backward and landed on it's back, nearly crushing Tyri in the process.

And that was when Katrine realized how she was going to get rid of the creature.

Calling out orders to her Pawns even as the creature raged, swiping this way and that with hands, even attempting a flying kick at Katrine that she barely dodged, she set up another distraction. The thing seemed faster and stronger than it had been even before, enraged by the damage she'd managed to do to it's back, and she knew they'd likely only get to try this once. Hiei got lucky and sent an arrow straight into it's eye, and Scellia slammed the thing with her shield, knocking it off balance and giving Katrine the opening she'd need in order to take the creature down.

She climbed the pillar again and jumped through the air, this time landing higher up very near the creature's shoulders, using her hand to hold herself in place, her dagger to stab again and again. Now it was her turn to get the thing's attention, dodging hands as best as she could as it tried to swipe her off, climbing higher, even getting a few stabs into the fur and fat that protected it's head, though she was sure she got a hit down to the bone at least once...

The Ogre she rode stumbled and staggered as the Pawns drove it toward the edge of the Everfall, Scellia slamming legs with her shield, Tyri shooting flame and lightning at the beast, Hiei keeping up a barrage of arrows as they banded together and drove it back, Katrine atop it carving away at thick flesh and fur with her dagger. She felt it crouch again and her whole body tensed as she readied herself for what was about to come.

She scrambled higher as the creature coiled like a spring, and as she felt it leap, she pushed herself off and into the air, hoping she'd be able to make the edge... The Ogre flailed as it realized it's mistake, and the back of a hand caught Katrine in her knees, sending her tumbling through the air.

"ARISEN! NO!", screamed her Pawns as Katrine's world spun, her harried flight toward the edge disrupted as a mournful bellow sounded from the Ogre as it fell.

Hands scrabbling for anything they found find, her fingers found stone and she clutched for dear life, her body slamming into the side of the hallway. She felt her grip slipping and let out a helpless scream, her other dagger having flown from her hands after she was hit, but even both hands couldn't keep her clinging to the stone.

Katrine felt her fingers slip and her stomach rose into her throat as she began to fall, a terrified yell her last sound as she plummeted.

That is, until she felt an iron grip latch onto her wrist and catch her, driving the wind from her lungs as she slammed into the wall yet again.

"I have you, Arisen!"

Hiei's hand gripped hers, holding her tight, the Pawn's body upended, Scellia and Tyri clinging to his legs. He'd dove from the hallway to grab her as her own grip had failed, trusting the other two Pawns to grab him and keep him from falling away into the darkness as well.

A sickening crunch announced the Ogre's introduction to the ground as the other two Pawns began hauling up Katrine and Hiei, the elf's breaths quick and afraid as she did what she could to help them pull her up, pushing up with her feet and extending a hand to grip the ledge as it came back into view.

They tugged her over the edge with a great heave, and she sprawled out across the dank, dusty stone, clutching the surface like she never wanted to release it again, her entire body trembling through a combination of fear and adrenaline. She'd truly believed she was about to lose her life in this dark and dusty place, and only her companions had managed to save her. She silently vowed to never again make fun of their odd mannerisms, as she now owed them her life.

Scellia sat by the woman's side as she lay there on the ground, catching her breath, Hiei off to the side doing the same. Tyri reappeared a moment later, having collected Katrine's daggers from where they'd fallen. The tip of one was bent from where it'd hit the ground, and she could feel dents and lumps and tears in her armor from their fight against the Ogre... the others didn't look much better. The only one who really looked much the same as she had when they'd arrived as Tyri, as she'd managed to avoid the worst of the combat. Scellia's armor was practically in tatters from the ogre's assault, and Hiei's bow had been broken- likely when he jumped to try to catch Katrine. They'd need to refit when they returned to the surface, and hopefully no other big threats would find them down in this place...

She rested for a few minutes, but Katrine knew that they still had a job to do and she couldn't just lay there forever. She took her weapons back from Tyri, thanking her for retrieving them, took a moment to rest and drink some water from a flask from her pack, and after she gathered her nerve they were off again on their continual trip down into the dark.

They found another portcullis but aside from more bats that were easily dispatched, no other threats loomed out of the dark to confront them. Katrine glanced over the edge, looking for the body of the Ogre, but instead she realized that she could see the bottom now, including what was causing the faint purple glow. Some kind of large crystal rested near what looked like a dais embedded in the floor, glowing cracks radiating outward haphazardly, with the whole thing looking crooked or damaged.

Katrine called over the Pawns, directing their attention to it. "What do you think caused that?"

"I am not sure, Arisen... judging by the patterns I can see from here, it looks like some kind of seal... though what for I haven't the faintest idea...", spoke Tyri, and Katrine pursed her lips at the explanation.

Another side-tunnel greeted them, this one turning out to be longer, including a stop into some kind of underground stairwell that had collapsed, full of bats. A skeleton in armor guarded the lever to a door, and after dispatching him they collected it, finding that they were blocked without it anyway. They reattached the lever to the mechanism and Katrine had to hang from it to get the gears moving again, and it opened and closed several doors, opening pathways that had previously been closed and opening ways that were shut, and as she expected it, looked like it had opened the larger doors above that they had needed to take side passages to circumvent.

"I'm glad we didn't pull the lever higher up, it might have released the Ogre toward us sooner than we found it...", Katrine muttered to herself. "Exiting this place will be faster, however, which I am all for."

The Pawns agreed and they continued downward, and thankfully the only other threat they encountered along the way were more easily-dispatched zombies. Soon enough the path bottomed out and they found a staircase down to the floor itself, and Katrine didn't realize how much the slope was bothering her until she stood upon flat ground again and her aching calves thanked her profusely for the luxury. They took a moment to look around rather than venture directly toward the middle, not wanting to disturb anything before they'd had a chance to explore. The Ogre's body was easy to locate, crushed against the ground near one of the edges, and Katrine almost felt sorry for it.

 _That could have easily been me..._

She turned away after a moment, finally giving the odd dais in the middle her full attention. The large purple crystal drew her attention first, especially since it seemed to be giving off some kind of purple beam toward the sky. "What do you suppose this is?", she asked as she gave it a little nudge with her toe. It was surprisingly stable, and she had to try rather hard just to get it to wobble about, though it returned almost immediately to standing straight up and down.

"That looks like a Portcrystal, Master."

"A Portcrystal? What are those?"

Scellia fished a small grey gemstone with a swirl that reminded Katrine very much of the design on the Pawn's own Riftstones. "A Portcrystal works with one of these, a Ferrystone. You throw this into the air and think about the destination, and it will whisk you away to it instantly, Arisen. Here."

She handed over the stone, and Katrine was surprised by just how heavy it was. "So what about this Portcrystal then?"

"You can place a Portcrystal where you would like to go, and then use a Ferrystone to travel to it from anywhere. They must be outside to function, so the placement of this one is very odd. Perhaps we can take it upstairs with us and we can use it if we want to travel to somewhere in particular."

Katrine frowned slightly as she looked at the two, then nodded after a moment of consideration. "Okay. That sounds like a great idea. Perhaps out front of the Pawn Guild when we head upstairs?"

"There is already one outside the Pawn Guild, Arisen."

"What!? Why didn't we use it before?"

"Would you have wanted to abandon the Enlistment Corps to travel on their own, Arisen? I did not mention it until now because it was not important."

Katrine pursed her lips and sighed. "Okay, point taken." She lifted the Portcrystal, which was actually rather light for it's size, about a foot tall, and handed it to Scellia. "Hold onto this while we look at this dais."

She stepped closer, looking at the odd designs of the metal, when Tyri called for her attention. "Arisen! Look here!"

Curious, Kat headed over to find the Pawn peeking at a large metal chest that rested against the wall where it had crumbled away, looking like it had once been a storage room of some kind... "What'd you find?"

"Some sort of gemstones, Arisen." She lifted the lid of the chest to reveal what looked like Wakestones resting within.

"What!" Kat gasped as she kneeled, quickly taking the other two shards out of her pack where she'd stowed them away. The two crystals within didn't move, but a shard underneath them did, rising to meet the other two she'd been holding of it's own accord, their dim red light growing in intensity as they grew closer, until they fused together with a quiet tinkling of crystal, leaving a large lump that looked very close to a stylized carving of a heart to lower itself back down to the other two gemstones where it landed with a soft crystalline thump.

"There are three of them here, three... intact Wakestones." She looked to Tyri. "This means we can save his son! We must hurry back to the surface when we are done here, Tyri. Put them away in your pack while we check the dais, please. Keep them safe."

The Pawn nodded and began to wrap them in cloth and put them away, and Katrine pushed away to head back toward the big metal seal. If she still had her heart she imagined it'd be thudding in excitement at being able to save the man's son, and they had two other wakestones... She didn't know what she'd use them for, but she knew that just having them could be crucial.

She stepped to the dais and placed her foot upon it with a sigh, leaning over to try to calm herself and get a closer look at the designs... though the ground began to rumble beneath her feet.

"Arisen! What happened?"

Katrine stumbled away, startled, shaking her head. "I don't know! I just touched it!"

An odd magical sound filled the chamber as the seal began to glow, and the 'presence' announced itself with a muffled, gurgling roar. Portals began to open all around them, and a collective cry went up from the Pawns as large red, mouthed tentacles appeared from them.

"A BEHOLDER ARISEN. WE MUST FLEE!"

She'd never heard such abject terror in their voices, and she wasn't about to argue with them either as the tentacles began to launch spells toward her and her companions. Many of them began to rise from similar portals in the floor even as Katrine made sure that Scellia still had the Portcrystal and Tyri carried the Wakestones, and they ran as fast as their weary legs would take them toward the stairs.

The Beholder's tentacles followed them no matter how quickly they ran, some even rising from the ground ahead to attempt to cut off their advance, and more than once their party had to dodge spells or walls of flame that were erected by the creature's tentacles as they made their escape. Tendrils swiped at them, maws attempted to grab them as they ran by, and curled tentacles served as hurdles they had to leap over as they made their escape, Katrine glancing back now and again just to ensure that her friends still followed her toward the exit.

Even though the trip downward had taken a good chunk of time, the trip back up seemed to stretch on even further no matter how quickly they covered the ground. They were exhausted, taking injuries from the spells, and Katrine nearly thought they were going to be overrun by the creature by the time the doorway finally came into view.

She burst through it ahead of her Pawns and made sure to slam it behind them, unsure if the creature would be deterred but not wanting to make it's advance any easier, either. They made it up the stairwell as quickly as they dared, and the four of them piled into the room where Barnaby still awaited them, falling over each other in exhaustion and fear, ending up nearly in a pile upon the floor.

"Shut the door! Shut it! A Beholder comes!", cried Katrine, and Barnaby complied by quickly sealing the Everfall shut once again.

"A Beholder!? Surely you jest, no such creature has been seen in Gransys for as long as the Pawn Guild has been open."

"No, really!", she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "It was under the metal seal at the bottom of the Everfall, I swear it. We barely escaped it's tentacles."

He put his hand to his chin and pursed his lips. "This is ill news indeed. It should not be able to breach the barriers we placed upon the Everfall when our watch over it began, though it seems as if it did not fully breach the seal placed over it at the bottom if you were able to escape it's wrath. If you were not pursued by the eyeball itself then perhaps it has only partially breached containment near the bottom."

Katrine nodded. "Yes. There was a light in the depths, and we but touched the seal and it attacked us."

He crossed his arms as he listened, placing a hand upon his chin. "A light in the depths you say... perhaps it's bonds have weakened over time." He shook his head and let his hand fall. "In truth, even we Pawns know precious little of the Everfall other than what has already been shared. I can say with utmost certainty, though, that the light you speak of us newly come. We cannot know if this aberration will give rise to great calamity hence. But the chance enough is call to take action. We shall redouble our efforts here, and keep vigilant for further signs of change."

Barnaby smiled, and retrieved a purse to press into Katrine's hands. "Take this, Arisen. You have done the Pawn Guild a great service. We will stand guard over the Everfall and alert you if aught changes here."

She nodded, hefting the small bag in her hands. "Thank you, Barnaby. We will be sure to answer if you call for us."

After a small bit of conversation they made to exit the Pawn Guild, but were stopped by a man near the door in the garb of a Gran Soren guard. Katrine raised an eyebrow at him, and the man answered with a stiff salute.

"Are you the Arisen?" He spoke with a loud voice of someone used to being listened to, a commanding tone to him.

"I am."

"I bring a message from the Duke himself. His Grace has judged your feat in slaying the Hydra most laudable. To honor your noble works, you are hereby welcomed to the Wyrm Hunt. You may now accept orders from Ser Maximilian, the Captain of the Hunt. Bring this writ", the man handed over a rolled piece of paper, "to Ser Maximilian, outside the castle gates. He will instruct you further. That document confers the status of hunter upon you. Carry it on your person always."

Katrine blinked a few times before nodding, surprised at the news. Looks like Mercedes had gotten her audience with the Duke after all. She looked down at the paper and even opened it to read a few times, before stowing it away in her pack.

Now unaccosted by the Guard, she stepped off to find the blacksmith she'd spoken to earlier, hoping that he hadn't left home or done something drastic to his son's body in the meantime. She found him much in the same position he'd been when she left, though he'd pulled a chair over to his son's body to give himself something to sit on.

He took a few moments to look up as she entered the room and knocked gently upon the doorframe, though when he did his eyes went wide. "You... you've returned. Why?"

She could see the hope spring to life in his eyes, and it brought a smile to her face even despite the weariness she felt from their ordeal in the Everfall. "I brought something for you. Tyri?" She turned to the Pawn, who handed her one of the cloth wrapped bundles, which Katrine took and held out to the man.

He looked to not believe what was happening as he took it in trembling hands, carefully peeling the cloth away, and his hand went to his face as he saw the glittering gem beneath. "That stone! You've gathered enough!? How..."

"We found it in the Everfall, beneath the Pawn Guild. Your final piece had been lurking this close all along."

"Perhaps with this, my son..." He looked up to Katrine with glistening eyes. "But I fear I've not the strength to conjure their effect. Please, Ser..." He held the gemstone back up to her. "You look to have the strength. Please..."

She nodded and took the stone back from him, then carried it to his son's body. She knelt by his side and unwrapped the Wakestone the rest of the way, letting the cloth fall to the side. As carefully as she dared, she lowered the gently-pulsating crystal to his chest, hoping that it's magic would work and give the man what he'd been hoping for...

As the crystal touched the boy's skin, at first nothing happened and Katrine feared they hadn't returned quickly enough, but then it glowed so brightly in her hands that she had to look away, though it seemed to give off no heat. When she looked back the crystal had crumbled away to dust that blew away in the slight wind through the blacksmith... and the boy took a breath.

She heard a gasp from behind herself as the man saw his son's chest move again, and she stood to back herself away to give him space. The boy's eyes fluttered open after a long moment, and he looked around, confused, before he began to push himself up. The man sank into his chair with his hands raised, outstretched. "A miracle! 'Tis a miracle!", he cried as he faced his son.

"Father...? I...", the boy croaked, sounding as if he hadn't spoken in days.

"Wilhem! Sweet Wilhem!" The man rose from his chair and embraced the boy, crying into his shoulder.

Katrine smiled so wide she thought her face would split, but she carefully edged her way out of the home to let the two reunite.

"We made it, Arisen, thank goodness.", breathed Scellia. "I thought for certain we would be too late."

"You and I both, Scellia. Thankfully we were able to return in time, and now he has his son back..."

The man called her back, from inside the blacksmith, and she turned to see him leaning on the doorframe. "I know not how to thank you, stranger. You gave my son back to me. If there is ever anything..."

"Please, no." Katrine gestured with a hand, trying to wave him off. "We are just glad we were able to return your Wilhem to you."

He nodded, pressing a kiss to his fist before shaking it gently in her direction. "I will never forget this, Ser."

"Neither will I.", Katrine said with a quiet laugh under her breath, glad to have been able to bring such happiness to a grieving parent. "Neither will I."


	9. The Wyrm Hunt - The Cipher

Worn and weary, the group retired to the Inn in short order, taking their dinner together in the lower common room after getting rid of their gear in their room. Dinner as always was an odd affair, as only Katrine ever seemed to eat anything at all. The Pawns sat at the table and chattered amongst themselves, but aside from perhaps getting a glass of water they didn't consume anything, and the elf was still confused how they managed to propel themselves or live at all...

A good night's rest once Katrine' returned to her room to sleep saw her right as rain once more in the morning, her quickened healing taking care of her injuries and aches, much to her relief. The day dawned bright and sunny, and they set out once more from the Inn, though this time they had a new destination in mind. Their steps turned toward the east, deeper into Gran Soren than they'd been before, and soon enough upward as well. They came to a large square, the path back toward the Inn behind them, a road down into what looked like a residential area on their right, the walls on their left, and an archway that led further upward ahead.

A man standing off to the side of the square caught Katrine's attention with a wave of his hand, and she raised an eyebrow as she stopped, waiting for him to approach. "Arisen! Arisen, please."

The man stopped in front of her, wearing a yellow and black tunic, long brown hair falling down past his shoulders. "Thank you for letting me speak to you, I was worried that you would ignore me on your way up toward the castle."

"How did you know I was going to visit the castle?" Katrine put her hands on her hips and frowned, it seemed like everyone in this town knew what she was doing before she had a chance to do it.

"Well everyone has heard of the Arisen joining the Wyrm Hunt, ser. There was an announcement in front of the Castle about it just yesterday."

She shook her head with a sigh. Must have happened while she was down in the Everfall. "I see. Well, what can I help you with then, sir...?"

"Steffen. It's a pleasure to meet you Ser Arisen."

"Katrine, please."

"Of course. Well, ser, you see... I have been searching for a grimoire. A book. It belonged at one time to the great sorcerer Salomet. He was a scholar, the leader of an entire council of sorcerers. He was a genius... a luminary. Until the day he went mad, that is. He put the fruits of the council's research to the torch and disappeared." The man wrung his hands before himself, watching Katrine with interest as she turned around to gesture for the bag that Scellia carried.

"Aye", he continued, though it seemed mostly to himself now. "Geniuses are so oft touched with madness. But enough of him." The man waved a hand dismissively. "I care only about the tome he kept with him in his research. I would make it mine, ser. Even if it means sifting through the muck to find it."

After digging through Scellia's pack for a moment, Katrine produced the book that they had found what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Do you mean this book?" She held it out for the man so he could see it, the faded red cover and all.

"Yes, this is it! At long last, Salomet's grimoire is mine! How... how ever did you come across this, ser?" He reached out for the book but stopped after a moment once he realized Katrine wasn't outright offering it to him.

"We met a man on the road a few days ago, under attack by bandits. They attempted to steal this book from him, and when questioned about it, he fled. Mentioned Salvation and Salomet, but didn't stick around to search for it after the fighting was over."

"Salvation, eh? And they wanted this book? That would have been ill for many, ser. This is a powerful book to have in the wrong hands."

"So it seems. And you would not do things that would regret making me give this to you, would you?" She asked, her eyebrow still raised and the book held securely in hand.

"And risk crossing the Arisen?" Steffen laughed like she'd told him the funniest joke he'd heard in days. "Ser, I am a scholar. I would study it, learn of the research Salomet and his council discovered afore it was destroyed."

Katrine pursed her lips and nodded, gently lowering the book into his hands once he held them out once more. "Fine. But what do you know of the Arisen, Steffen? I don't know much myself, only what I have learned from the Pawns."

He clutched the book to his chest with one hand, reaching up into his hair with the other to scratch gently at his scalp. "Well that is a wide topic, ser. I suppose in general terms many would consider the Arisen to be a champion of the people. They are said to be great heroes, come at a time when Gransys needs them most, when the Dragon comes to bring the apocalypse upon us all."

Kat tilted her head to the side. "Apocalypse? That is the first I'm hearing of this."

"Oh yes, ser. It is said that if the Dragon succeeds, if he is not defeated by the Arisen, then he will bring doom upon us. Duke Edmund managed to stop the wyrm many years ago, perhaps... seventy years in the past now, if I am not mistaken?" He shrugged slightly before continuing. "They crowned him Duke for his feat. And now it has returned, and a new Arisen", he gestured to Katrine, "You, ser, have come to stop him and save us all."

Katrine felt lightheaded after learning that. She'd known that to others she was important, but to stop the apocalypse... She felt a reassuring hand on her back and glanced to the side to see Scellia supporting her, and Katrine gave her a single nod. Knowing she wouldn't be alone... it helped her heart to settle.

"Oh, ser! I'm sorry, you look as if you've seen a ghost. I did not mean to trouble you. Please, let me..." He began to fish with a pouch at his belt.

Katrine held out a hand. "It's... it's alright. I just wasn't... I haven't heard any of this before. That's quite a destiny for someone to have."

"It is, ser. So please, let me assist you if I can." He held out a small pouch to her, weighted with coin. "For finding this book for me. And if I can ever assist you in the future, ser..." He told her where he could be found, in the smaller library in the Noble Quarter of the city, where he'd be located if she needed his knowledge and expertise. As they spoke, he joined Katrine and her Pawns on their trip up toward the castle, though he split from them before they reached their destination proper.

The Noble Quarter was certainly more how Katrine 'expected' the city to be when she arrived. Whereas the lower parts of the city, where the Inn, the armorer and such resided, still had the homey feel that she was familiar with from Cassardis, this looked more like the type of place she thought she'd find in the city. Large buildings, cobblestone streets flanked with trees and gardens, guards dotted here and there, many more than she'd seen in the lower part of the city. And off in the distance she could see the Castle itself, separated from the Noble Quarter by a large gate and even more guards. She headed that way, as she expected she'd find the man she was supposed to meet, Ser Maximillian, closer to the castle, especially since he was the Captain of the Guard.

Asking some of the guards for directions got her pointed toward the right man, a shorter gentleman in a red outfit that set him apart from the other guards, who mostly wore a mix of blue and gold. Just like they, he had a crest just above his heart to show a coat of arms. "Ser Maximilian?" Katrine walked toward him, waving a hand to try to get his attention.

"Ah, Arisen. My men have told me much of you. I have expected your visit." He crossed his arms over his chest, a shield still strapped to his arm with the same crest as his armor. "I am Ser Maximilian Eizenstern, Captain of the Hunt, so named by His Grace Duke Edmun Dragonsbane."

Katrine nodded, giving the man a small bow. "I am Katrine, it is good to meet you."

He inclined his head in return before continuing to speak. "I beg your forbearance whilst I detail what is expected of you in the Hunt." When Katrine nodded her agreement, he continued. "The Wyrm Hunt license you carry permits the bearer to undertake the most vital of tasks: Those missons given by Duke Edmun himself. Of late, all our will is focused on the learning of, and defending against, the wicked Dragon. A weighty task, to be sure, but one which the fate of the realm and it's people rests upon. I am under orders to lend Arisen all reasonable aid as they might require. I would pray you return this assistance in kind. Many hopes are pinned upon you, ser."

Katrine held out a hand for a moment. "Wait. Under orders to lend Arisen... not _the_ Arisen? Is there more than one?"

He shook his head. "Not currently, unless you count Duke Edmun himself, who cannot assist in defeating the dragon other than keeping Gransys protected and stable. But in the case there were more than one, we would assist all of them. Currently there is only you."

She sighed quietly. She'd been hoping that perhaps there was more than just herself roaming around, but it seemed like she was alone aside from her Pawns...

"If you are ready, it would be my honor to show you the ready charges for the Wyrm Hunt. All of these missions offered by His Grace serve to strengthen Gransys against the dragon in some way, even if they are not direct assaults against the Dragon itself."

Katrine gestured with a hand, trying to offer the man a smile. "Of course. What do you have?"

He looked her over for a moment, at the battered state of her equipment and that of her Pawns, and pulled a small scroll from a pouch on his belt. "Here is one that you can undertake without much risk to yourself. It is a simple task to translate a slate tablet that we believe contains information about the Dragon and it's past."

Katrine took the offered scroll, reading over it briefly before the man continued.

"This slate", he then handed her the large grey slab, "Was found when I was collecting the other work for you. The Duke had never seen it, and we did not know where it arrived from. We know not it's origin, nor it's age, but the writing is bears is old. So old, our men could only read a few words. 'Dragon', 'scar', 'Arisen', 'heart'. What little we know all points to you, ser."

Katrine frowned as she looked over the slate, turning it this way and that to look at the old and worn script, so abraded by time that it was nearly unreadable aside from the few words already spoken, as well as a few others.

"Best you should have it. If there's aught of import written there, we must know. Your task is to find out." He began to reach into a separate pouch attached to his belt.

"I would also offer you this." He held out another, smaller piece of paper. "It is a writ for you to see the armorer in town, Arisen. He will provide you and yours.", he gestured to the Pawns, "With equipment befitting your station as Arisen and traveling companions. The Duke will pay for the equipment and the armorer's time, and you will repay the Duke by handling all the tasks that I have to give you. Does that sound like a fair agreement?"

Kat actually smiled, taking the second piece of parchment into hand. "That very much does! I was starting to worry that we'd have to work with broken and damaged equipment until we were able to pay for replacements on our own."

Ser Maximilian nodded. "Then we will waive the usual payment we would provide upon completion of these tasks, until such a point that His Grace has been recompensed in full for your equipment. Please see me when you are ready for your next assignment or you have completed what has been given to you." He snapped the group a quick salute, and inclined his head in respect. "Good luck, Katrine."

"Yeah, thanks." She did her best to return his salute before she turned to her Pawns and gestured for them to come along.

"Perhaps we should go visit the scholar, master? He may at least be able to point us to who we must speak to.", offered Tyri.

"That's a good idea, actually. We'll head that way."

They met Steffen again in his library, and he did indeed have information to offer them.

"I don't recognize this script, but I know one who might. There's said to be a very old man who lives up near Hillfigure Knoll named the Dragonforged. Surely one with a name such as that would know aught of a script what references the Dragon.", he told them while he retrieved books, using them to cross-reference with the Grimoire they'd given him for his own research.

Katrine and her Pawns excused themselves to venture forth, after consulting a map to learn where this Knoll was and plan a route. It was quite far from Gran Soren, but in a direction that they had yet to travel, meaning it would take them to new lands. They could at least rest, if necessary, as there was a somewhat-large citadel that the Duke had recently re-commissioned along the road north.

She made a point to stop by the armorer, a man by the name of Caxton, to give him the writ and request new armor and weapons. He had them measured quickly and expertly, took down a few requests... Katrine wanted an armlet or gauntlet, something to cover her dominant hand and arm so she could risk getting closer to her enemies before striking. Scellia requested something intimidating, so that enemies would pay attention to her rather than the others, and a nice, sturdy shield she could use to protect herself. Tyri requested only a new robe, as her equipment was still in better shape, and Hiei just asked for a stronger bow that was more durable. They were told that he'd have preliminary work done in a couple of days, and to return then for another fit and to make any adjustments or requests.

After leaving the armorer and collecting a few provisions to top themselves off from the Inn, they set out through the northern gate of Gran Soren.

The road before them was long, though reasonably well-patrolled by the guard, to keep lines between the northern stronghold and Gran Soren open for resupply. As they weren't burdened by a wagon it didn't take them as long as the trip to the capital had taken even though the distance was comparable, and they only had to stop to defend themselves once along the way, from a pack of very large wolves that the Pawns had called 'Direwolves', which were white instead of brown.

Even at a long distance away, Katrine could still see the 'Hillfigure' that had given the area it's name, an outline carved into the stone or dirt of the hill itself, standing out as a light grey color. It might have even been white once, but age and nature had worn it down. It looked like a large human figure holding a spear, with a mark upon it's chest that could very well be a scar like the one Katrine had. She wondered why more people didn't know of the figure, but then it wasn't likely they considered it strange as it had been there so long...

They passed the northern stronghold but didn't feel that they needed the rest and so continued on, and despite having to fend off more wolves and a pack of harpies that the Pawns called 'Snow Harpies', larger and stronger than the ones they'd encountered in the mountains, they made good time. They even stopped to place down the Portcrystal they'd acquired in the Everfall outside of the stronghold, to save time if they found themselves needing to travel north again, and it'd be relatively safe near the stronghold rather than out in the wilderness somewhere.

Further north led them to the hill that the Hillfigure rested upon, and atop it lay stone structures that looked like pieces of a mountain had been brought down and placed there to create a 'home' of sorts... Katrine looked upon it, puzzled as to who would have done this or why, when a voice disrupted her musings.

"Him who knows that I know what he seeks to know, knows it well, while he who knows not, knows not what I know or know not."

Her eyes were drawn to the source of the voice, a man seated up upon one of the large rock structures, this one much like an arch or entryway. "I'm sorry...?"

Katrine's confusion was short lived, however, turning to pain as the light within her chest flared and her hand slapped to her chest armor. When she stood again, it was to find a man standing before her in a wispy robe, his arms and legs blackened as if by a fire, his features as chiseled as the rock around them and looking just as old... The pain in her chest faded as she looked upon him, and she knew that this was the man she sought.

"You see me, yes?", he asked with arms outstretched.

Katrine nodded, letting her hand drop back to her side. "I do."

"Then congratulations are due. You have found the man you seek." He walked toward her, one arm raised and outstretched, his robe falling open slightly to reveal that the rest of him was just as blackened as his arms and legs... perhaps only his chest and face had been spared. She now knew why he was called the 'Dragonforged', as he had surely been forged in the Dragon's fire...

"I am...", the man continued. "Or was, perhaps, like you." He bowed, and Katrine returned the gesture. "A child of man, bound to the dragon."

Katrine looked to the side slightly, the odd man from atop the rock somehow stepping out from behind the Dragonforged even though she hadn't seen him come down...

"Well met, young Arisen." He raised his arms outward in a welcoming gesture, something of a smile splitting his age-leathered face. "I am he who was forged by the dragon. Come, Arisen. Let us speak."

She could only nod, following after as he and the younger man headed into what she now recognized as a cave entrance.

The rock looked like it had been hewn by hand, tool marks still visible in some places, but it was so well worn by time and the currents of the wind and the passing of the Dragonforged and his companion that it nearly looked natural. Inside the cave the only light other than that provided by the entrance originated from candles and several lanterns strewn about... many books, sheafs of parchment, scrolls were littered around the area without thought to organization, like they'd been placed down mid-reading and forgotten and had managed to collect into loose piles.

The Dragonforged seated himself down in a throne hewn of rock, the man taking up position next to him to watch Katrine as she took in the sights of the cave.

"Take what you will, Arisen. My home is yours, until such a time as the dragon is defeated or you are." He gestured with a hand toward the items in the cave, and Katrine nodded... then had to fight the urge to facepalm as the Pawns began picking up items from around the cave.

He smiled slightly, glancing to the man standing at his side, and Katrine gasped quietly under her breath.

 _That must be his Pawn..._

"Well met, Arisen of the present day, new-forged link in the grand chain... You have come, seeking meaning for that slate and the words it bears..."

"Yes, that's right. I would love if you could perhaps-", she began to reach into her pack to retrieve it.

"There is none."

Her face fell. They'd come all this way for nothing...?

"None, save that it brought you here to me.", he finished.

Katrine paused for the moment, then replaced the slate into her bag. "You wanted me to travel here?"

He nodded. "My form can only be discerned by true Arisen... I am the Dragonforged. Even those who know of my presence would not be able to see me if they traveled here, save that they were Arisen." He held out a hand. "As you are."

"So you... were an Arisen?" She pointed to the scar upon his chest. "What happened to you? Did you not defeat the dragon?"

He smiled slightly, and she swore she could see cracks in his aged skin... "I fought him. And I made a choice. A choice that has led me to here. A choice that The Duke had to make. And a choice that you will have to make in time, should you face the beast." He held out his hands in that same welcoming gesture again. "All that I know is yours, should you desire to hear it. You need only ask the correct questions, to receive the answers you seek."

"Well... what do you know of the dragon? To start where we already are."

"The beast is called Death Incarnate. Bringer of the Apocalypse. The Dragon. His true name is Grigori."

"Right... he told me that long ago. On the beach. He spoke to me when he..." Her hand went to her chest.

The Dragonforged nodded. "As he does to all of us, Arisen. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Katrine."

He raised a hand to his chin. "Katrine... a good name. A strong name. It suits you well."

She found a flush coming to her cheeks, and she inclined her head to him. "Thank you. What of us, then? The Arisen?"

He placed his hands together in his lap. "The Arisen is a child of man. No more, no less. 'Tis said the Arisen is born whene'er man takes his first true step toward a goal. When the spirit gives rise to action, a man becomes Arisen. Those, like us, whose paths lead to the Dragon are known unto the beast as a matter of instinct. Just as it is our own instinct that guides us on."

Katrine frowned, looking down at her hands. That couldn't be right... "But I heal faster than others. I feel stronger. Something... guides me when I fight. Tells me where to strike and how, the best ways to strike down my foes... That can't be normal."

The Dragonforged gestured to her chest. "Your heart, Arisen. It resides within the Dragon's chest. As does mine. Our bodies are marked by the wyrm, yours and mine. A scar over the chest, to stand as proof of the Dragon's claim over our hearts." He turned his hand outward, pointing somewhere not within the cave. "I carved a scarred man into the face of this hill, that it might serve as a beacon to those who bear our mark. It beats yet, as does mine, there within the beast. A thousand years since it was stolen, and yet it beats... As long as the dragon lives, the hearts in it's safekeeping know no death. Our kind may die in battle, aye, but neither age nor illness will ever claim us. We have stepped free of this mortal coil, Arisen."

"But how does that explain why I feel different? The way I heal, how I am stronger than others... I don't understand." Katrine began to pace around the cave, her Pawns watching on, for once, in silence.

He smiled slightly, bringing his hand toward himself. "That your heart rests next to mine... next to the Dragon's own... do you not think that provides some effect? You are as resilient as the Wyrm, and share in some of his strength... and some of mine. As I share in yours. The more hearts the dragon claims, the stronger he becomes. The longer he lives, the greater the Arisen must be who arises to defeat him."

"That's comforting to know... How many hearts has he..." She paused mid-step, her head slowly turning toward the Dragonforged. "Wait. You said that... Once the dragon is defeated, the hearts in it's care are returned?"

The Dragonforged nodded. "When that time comes, I shall crumble away to dust as time catches up to me. As will all Arisen whose hearts are trapped within the beast. When he dies... so do I. But I have come to face that truth long, long ago. And here I reside, giving guidance and wisdom to those Arisen who make it here to seek it. Not every Arisen arrives here as you did."

Katrine pursed her lips, chewing on the bottom as she thought, her hand tapping against her thigh. "But... the Duke..." She breathed to herself, turning to face him. "What of Duke Edmun? It is said he slew the beast. That is why they crowned him."

The Dragonforged held out his hands, baring his chest to her. "And yet here I sit..." He put a hand to his chin. "Edmun... Did you speak the name Edmun?" When Katrine nodded, he let out a soft grumbling. " 'Tis the name of the Arisen who came before you. I know not how he turned away the Dragon... I bade him follow his instinct, same as I have bidden you. That is all our kind can do, Arisen of the present day. Continue forth from that first step and never turn back. 'Tis our duty, and our fate. Thought my own path stopped short, leaving me to linger on, an unsightly revenant..." He settled back into her chair with a sound like stone grinding softly into place, and Katrine felt some level of pity for the man before her. He wasn't broken, he still sat with his head held high, but he seemed... tired.

A hand rose, and he gestured toward the entrance to the cave. "Take what you will and venture forth, Arisen. Tell him that gave you the cipher of what you learned here." His head turned away, gaze turned to the ground.

Another hand came to rest on Katrine's shoulder from behind, and she turned to see Hiei standing behind her, his voice quiet and respectful. "Come, Arisen. Let us return to Gran Soren."

Katrine nodded, taking note that Scellia seemed to have gathered another Portcrystal from somewhere and stuffed it into her pack- probably from deeper in the Dragonforged's cave. "That's a good idea."

She gestured for her Pawns to step outside, and retrieved the Ferrystone from her belt. Before she could throw it into the air, however, Tyri put her hand on Katrine's wrist.

"Arisen, wait. This was found deeper in the Dragonforged's cave." She held up a small piece of paper with a rubbing of some words, apparently taken from some rock within the cave.

"Seek the spear aimed at the hilltop sky..." Katrine frowned, then turned to the Hillfigure drawing. "Do you think there's something up there?"

"It is worth a look, Arisen."

Katrine nodded, then ventured up the hillside, the climb steep but the ground beneath solid enough not to worry about losing her footing. She ventured to the tip of the spear drawn into the ground, peering around... until she discovered the tip of a stone slab protruding from the dirt, directly at the tip. It looked just like a rock, but slightly different colors... With the Pawns' help, she managed to dig up a crudely-fashioned chest.

Inside rested two of the most beautiful daggers she'd ever seen, with metal sheaths fastened to go on the hips and hold the blades in place. "Oh my..." The daggers themselves were embossed with designs, images of dragons in flight burnished into the metal. Katrine recalled the two large poles standing next to the Dragonforged's 'throne'. She'd dismissed them as maybe banners or something, but she now realized they were spears... The handles, wrapped in aged leather, were even made of the same color wood. "He broke the tips of his spears and turned them into daggers... do you think he knew I'd come for them one day?"

"He knows many things, Arisen. I think only he knows the extent."

Katrine nodded, giving one last look at the daggers before she placed them into her pack. "I think they'll serve the 'Arisen of the present day' well. Maybe they'll even strike the final blow upon the beast."


	10. Evictions and Salvation

The return trip back to Gran Soren was uneventful. They'd managed to clear out most of the Direwolves and the Harpies on the trip out and aside from a wolf's howl in the distance as they crossed the bridge back to the capital, they were not accosted by beast or fowl. The city loomed large ahead of Katrine and her band as they crossed toward the West gate, the city a welcome sight after their long but fruitful trek. It was also welcome as the armor they wore, damaged after their fight with the Ogre in the Everfall, was beginning to fall apart completely.

They trudged through the city gates, receiving a salute from one of the guards as they did, entering the Western side of the city where there were fields protected from any siege to provide the city some measure of rations no matter what the conditions. They walked up into the market, past the blacksmith and the Pawn Guild, before Katrine heard even a peep out of her Pawns who had been uncharacteristically quiet on the trip back to town.

"Perhaps we should rest for the night, Master. It is unlikely Ser Maximilian would still be standing guard at this hour."

Katrine considered, then gave a nod and turned her steps toward the Inn instead. Her gaze found a poster tacked to the pillar of the front of the Inn as they walked inside, advertising a cash reward for any information on the Salvation cult. Apparently the cult was starting to become a problem big enough for the guard to take notice.

Katrine and her pawns ventured inside to turn in for the night, but not before she bargained for some spare clothes. The chest of her leather jacket was beginning to fall apart to the point that she wasn't entirely comfortable wearing it anymore. With a new shirt to protect her decency, Katrine turned in for the night, bidding her Pawns good evening.

She rose the next morning, bright and early, gathering her Pawns to her side. Together they trekked up to the Noble Quarter to meet with Ser Maximilian, who greeted the Arisen and company with a cheerful wave. "What news of the slate, Ser Arisen? Secrets of the dragon within its text I hope?"

Katrine held out her hands, the slate contained within them. "It's not a text."

"Not a text you say?" The man frowned and crossed his arms.

"No, it's a cipher. A puzzle, I guess. It was meant to lead me to the Dragonforged." She handed it back to him, letting him take it from her.

"A cipher. Crafted to bring you to the Dragonforged... I see." He turned the slate over, looking at the front and the back. "What did he say?"

Katrine quickly gave him the general rundown of what the Dragonforged had told her, the whole process taking her perhaps another ten minutes while he stood and listened dutifully. She made sure to leave out the parts that suggested that the Duke hadn't slain the dragon after all, as the Dragonforged wouldn't be alive if he had.

"If this man speaks true, and is immortal, there's a fair chance he guided His Grace as well." He put a hand on his chin as he waved another guard over, offering the slate to him and gesturing for him to take it up into the Duke's Demense. "Be that the case, his words are well worth heeding, ser. Meet with him as time allows."

Katrine gave a slight nod. "I intend to. I also found these." She took the daggers she'd found from her pack- she hadn't used them yet, intending to get them checked out by Caxton first. "I believe they were his at some point. I'm going to get Caxton to cancel the weapons he was making for me, so will I get any form of reward?"

Ser Maximilian put his fingers to his chin again. "I am not sure. I will have to consult with the Duke and the treasurer, but I will ensure they subtract the cost of weapons from the Duke's expenses."

"Excellent." Katrine carefully stowed the weapons away back in her pack. "Is there anything else for me yet?"

"Unfortunately, no. Without armor, none of the other Wyrm Hunt tasks available are suitable for you yet. As there is no one else to complete them, they will have to wait."

Katrine gave a nod and began to turn away, but was stopped by a 'wait' from the Guard Captain.

"While you are within the city, keep an ear open for any news of the Salvation cult. There have been ill rumors of a plot against Gran Soren. You will be rewarded by the Duke should any information come to light." He paused, then added. "Such a reward would not be deducted from or count toward your debt with His Grace."

Katrine raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, then gave another nod. "Good to know. I will certainly keep my eyes open then." She gestured to her elven ears with a smirk. "And my ears."

With that, the merry band of Katrine and Pawns ventured back down into the city- Or tried to, anyway. They were stopped near the entrance to the walkway down toward the Market by a large, portly bald man in a yellow robe. "Pray, are you the Arisen?"

Katrine stopped short, Scellia bumping into her back with a quiet clank, and she turned toward the man, who was looking at them somewhat... incredulously. They must make quite the sight, armor half-destroyed, carrying broken or semi-useless weapons, as well as the sight of Pawns in general. Still quiet after their meeting with the Dragonforged and his Pawn, Katrine was starting to worry about them. She tried to show her best side, though figuring out which one that was in her half-armored state was more difficult than she thought. "Well... yes, I am. To whom am I speaking?"

"My name is Fournival, a purveyor of rarities within Gran Soren." He leaned in closer and gestured for them to follow him forward. "I find myself in a situation most dire... Perhaps one of your... erm." He glanced at their state and seemed to rethink himself before he pushed on. "Your esteem."

Katrine stepped closer, putting them all in the shade of the wall and somewhat out of sight. "Very well, what do you need me to do?"

"I'd thought to sell some land I own to raise capital. I wish to invest in the Wyrm Hunt, as protecting the men out conducting it keeps all of us safe. However..." He rubbed at the back of his arm beneath his robes. "I must first evict those who live upon it."

Katrine frowned slightly but gestured for him to continue.

"This typically requires a rather involved procedure, but times are dire, and I wish the current residents gone with all haste. They'll not hear this proposal from me, but from the Arisen, they're like to weigh it carefully." He placed his hands on his hips. "Due to my ... current circumstances, I cannot raise the desired funds any other way, unfortunate as it is. Surely the protection of the realm means more than putting a family out of their home. And they will be compensated, certainly."

The elven woman chewed on her lip for a moment, considering, before she finally shrugged. "I suppose it is your land, though I am loathe to do it. Who should I speak to?"

Fournival smiled widely and pumped his arm. "Ah ha! I wagered you'd agree, and I never lose a wager." His smile faded slightly afterward, the man putting on a dour air. "Please, convince the residents." He handed her a slip of parchment with their address upon it. "That leaving quickly is in the best interest of all. The Blacksmith is working on another large order for the Duke and he's requesting a premium to have these swords made in due haste."

Katrine gave a little nod before waving the parchment toward him. "I'll see what I can do."

The elf turned back toward the Market, Fournival venturing off back for his home. She didn't like this, but she supposed if it was for swords for the soldiers, she'd have to stomach it. She couldn't do anything combat related at the moment anyway, with the sorry state of her gear, so perhaps she could put the reputation of the Arisen to good use in a different way.

The address was down in the Residental District, somewhere she hadn't had occasion to go before, but as if on cue as they walked down the ramp, Tyri and Scellia spoke up at once. "We'll find Jasper giving speeches in the Capital's streets."

"Jasper?" She glanced toward them, then let out a little 'oh'. "He must be one of the family, right?" At a nod from Hiei, she turned back down the ramp. "I suppose that'll be easy enough to find, then." She was still unsettled about how they seemed to know things, but at least they were being more talkative again.

They soon enough arrived in the Market, and just like her Pawns had said, she could hear someone giving some sort of speech.

"Ear ye, 'ear ye! The duke's brave Enlistment Corps 'as dispatched the foul hydra what terrorized the southlands! Marvel at the widsom of 'is Grace, Duke Edmun Dragonsbane, without 'ose counsel the hydra would n'er have been slain! 'Ear the tinglin' tale of the brave Ser Mercedes, she who stuck the mortal blow against the vicious creature!"

Katrine frowned slightly, glancing around the crowd who'd gathered. That wasn't at all what happened, though she supposed perhaps some of the actual events might've gotten lost between here and the encampment... She pushed her way through the crowd to find who'd been speaking- if Jasper was giving a speech, at least she could quickly locate him. She found a man wearing an odd black hat the likes of which she'd never seen before, as well as a blue coat with a broad white collar that covered his shoulders. "Excuse me! Are you Jasper?"

"Wot?" He turned around, giving the elf a confused look. "No, 'm Flavian."

Katrine put her hands on her hips with a sigh. "Damn." She didn't have to be disappointed for long though, as she was tapped on the shoulder by someone else. She turned around to find a much older man with an orange hat and shirt with puffy sleeves and puffy brown pants. "Huh?"

"You were asking for Jasper, eh? I'm him." He leaned back against the wall behind him, looking Katrine up and down.

"Oh, wonderful." She sighed, glad she'd found him so quickly and didn't have to go running across half the city. "I was looking for you, I need your help."

"Yes? How may I aid you, ser?" He pushed himself up and off of the wall to stand before her.

"Are you the same Jasper who lives on this address?" She showed him the slip of paper.

He glanced down at the parchment, then looked up to her with a slightly confused expression and a nod. "Aye, we pay tariff on Fournival's land."

Katrine withdrew her hand, then gave a long sigh. "Fournival's asking for you to move, as soon as possible. He needs to sell the land to fund a shipment of weapons for soldiers fighting the dragon."

Jasper was taken aback at that, his hands coming up slightly as if to defend himself. "Oh! Wants us gone, does he? I wager it's not so simple a proposition as all that, not with Fournival." He placed his hands on his sides and let out a quiet growl. "I know Fournival's the law on his side, but I'm loathe to simply up and go at his command."

"I'm deeply sorry, sir. I wish there was some other way." Katrine shrugged and upended her hands, trying to apologize.

"It's a hard decision, ser, and not one I'd make alone." He placed one hand over his other upper arm and gestured with the free hand toward Katrine. "I've a wife and son. They should get word of this afore all else. Afore I decide." He dropped his arms and leaned back. "They're off about the town, though where I don't know. Perhaps you could find them and explain the matter? I would hear their thoughts ere I make any decision. Even if it is for soldier's swords."

Katrine gave a little nod. "I can give you that. Where might I possibly find them?"

"Well my wife, Sara, she likes to eat lunch at the Alehouse, you're like to find her there. My son, Pip, may be in the Noble Quarter. He likes to watch the guards."

Katrine gave a little nod, then gestured for her Pawns. "We'll find Sara first, then." The Alehouse wasn't particularly far away, meaning they arrived in short order. Katrine used her height and a nearby crate to look over the crowd inside, the Alehouse being open to the city streets rather than enclosed like the Inn. "Is there anyone named Sara here?"

She was greeted with several looks in her direction, including a few giggles at the state of her armor that made her cheeks flush, mostly women gathered this time of day but a few men as well. Thankfully a hand went up near the back. "Sara's me!"

Katrine quickly made her way to the woman's side through the crowd. "Miss Sara?"

"Ser? You have need of me?" The woman was slightly overweight and sat by herself, the remnants of a lunch before her.

Katrine gave a nod and gathered her thoughts for a moment. "Correct. I've just spoken with your husband Jasper. Fournival wishes for you to move off of his land so that it may be sold to help fund weapons for soldiers."

She let out a quiet gasp, a hand going to her chest. "Fournival would have us quit his land? Oh fie, but this is sudden! Had he even a whit of the Maker's decency, he'd give fair warning afore such a request..."

"I understand, but he seems to be under some stress to get this order in a timely fashion... He doesn't seem to have any other choice to get the funds so quickly."

"I beg of you, ser, grant me a little time to consider what you have to say." She leaned back in her chair, her eyes wide. "I would strive to have an answer for you shortly."

"Please, ma'am. As the Arisen I'm called upon by the Duke to perform tasks for his Wyrm Hunt. I could be called away at any moment and then Fournival won't have his answer." Katrine didn't know how long it would take, and honestly she didn't want to have to find the woman yet again.

"Oh fie... I've made up my mind, then." Sara sighed and let her hands rest on the table, looking defeated. "Thought it twists my heart to breaking, we are in no place to defy Fournival's will. I am my husband's wife in all things. Pray, tell him I will follow whatever path he chooses."

Katrine gave a nod. "Thank you, ma'am. I understand this is difficult." Katrine bowed her head, then moved onward to leave the woman to her thoughts and find Pip.

She had to head back up to the Noble Quarter, but he didn't prove too hard to find, considering he was the only male child she could see watching the guards, standing near one of their patrol routes in the shade of a tree. "Pip? Are you Pip?" Katrine asked as she stepped closer to him.

"What? Who are?" He looked up toward the elf. "You're that Arisen the guards are talking about!"

"That's right." Katrine didn't know how to break this tactfully to a child, and looking to her Pawns for guidance wasn't helpful... Hiei was even walking off behind Pip to go stand near the gate, all the help he was. "Your father sent me to ask you what you thought about moving."

"Moving!? Why?" He looked up to her with the type of dismayed expression that only a child could manage.

Katrine sighed, then decided to give it to him straight. "Fournival needs to sell the land to fund weapons for the soldiers." Katrine glanced behind her. "For the guards."

"Our landlord would drive us from our home?" He crossed his arms and set his feet. "Forget it! I won't go!"

"Pip, please..." Katrine never did like trying to argue with children. "Your mother already agreed. Fournival owns the land..."

"I don't care how wealthy he is! He can't simply toss us out!" He stamped his foot. "I'll never leave! Ever! Not in a thousand years!" And then, quick as a whip, Pip scampered off.

Katrine tried to reach out to grab him but he was just too fast... however, he was not faster than Hiei. The Pawn seemed to know what the child was going to do before he did, because Pip barely got four steps toward the gate down toward the fields and the Pawn Guild before the Pawn scooped him up into his arms.

"No! No! My mind is made up! Let me go!" Pip kicked and yelled, drawing a fair amount of attention to himself, but what guards did look over saw the Arisen and her Pawns and decided they had much better business elsewhere. He struggled for a good few minutes before he finally went still, Katrine having to hold one of his feet at one point so he wouldn't kick her Pawn in the face.

"Ugh. You don't give up, do you?" He looked up at the Pawn, who simply shook his head. Pip glanced toward Katrine, and she saw that certain kind of all-consuming anger that only a child could manage. "I was taught that Arisen were friends of the weak."

Katrine reeled back as if struck. They could also fling insults with the best of them.

He sighed, long and quiet, as Hiei put him back on the ground. "Oh what does it matter. Even I ken that any who cross Fournival find work hard to come by. And Father isn't like to stand against one so powerful... What choice do we have?"

"As unfortunate as it is, Pip, the law is on his side here..." That didn't make Katrine feel any better about what she was doing, having to remind herself that it was for the soldiers.

"Oh, so be it." Pip shrugged. "I daresay I won't miss that pigsty of a home, besides." He looked up at Katrine and her pawns. "Now if there's nothing else, pray leave me be."

Katrine raised a hand to try to say something, but Pip slipped through the gate and down toward the fields before she could gather her thoughts. She turned to her Pawns again, who were giving her their normal distant looks. "Oh, I hate this." Katrine shook her head and ventured back down toward the Market to try to find Jasper.

Once again he wasn't hard to find, though this time it was because he was actually giving a speech, standing on the edge of the fountain as he did.

"Who among you has seen the dragon? Who saw it raze a village at the southern shore? No doubt you were filled with fear and aw, with trepidation, with despair... And why?"

Katrine stood nearby and leaned against the pillar of the Inn to listen... it'd be rude to interrupt him when it seemed like he'd just started.

"Because mankind e'er fears that which it does not understand. We dread the unknown, and ill know how to respond. At times, we abandon all thought and settle into the coward's refuge of desperation. 'Tis our nature, aye, but is it right? Is our only choice truly to bow down in submission to the awesome threat before us?" He stood, raising his hand above him until it turned into a fist. "No! I saw that our war against the unknown must begin with knowledge. We must come to understand the dragon... the Maker... ourselves!"

Katrine stood up straight, then, actually listening to his speech rather than just observing. It felt like he was putting voice to how she felt, why she'd chosen to fight than run, why she wanted to learn more about what she'd one day face.

"Let the light of human knowledge dispel the shadows of fear and desperation! for the day we truly understand the wyrm and well know ourselves, the path we must follow will be laid open before us. People of Gransys, we stand now at a crossroads. Do we submit to the tides of fear and chaos... or do we strike out?"

She knew he was talking about Salvation versus the fight against the dragon. Fear and supplication, like the Elysion had told her back at Cassardis, or to take up arms.

"Strike out against the waves of hardship, valor and wisdom our rudder and oar? The true and just among us need not turn to the Faith, nor Salvation, nor the Crown, but instead to that voice within ourselves! To heed the exhortations of our souls! We must think for ourselves and act of ourselves, brothers and sisters. Therein lies our only hope of cleaving a path through chaos and fallen order, that we may walk steadfast into the future."

He turned and Katrine felt her eyes find his, the crowd fading away until it felt like it was just her and him.

"Pay, place a hand o'er your breast and call your racing heart to calm. Doubt surrounds us at every quarter... Do not lose sight of the hope that lies beyond. Mistake not the light that shines beyond the dragon's shadow!"

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as the little spell was broken as the speech ended, glancing around to her Pawns who were also staring at the man who'd just given the speech. It almost looked like it'd moved them. Katrine ventured forward, finding Jasper again within the crowd.

"That speech! It was... amazing."

"It is my job, ser. The people need hope in this dark times, hope against fear." He looked away from her for a moment, then back. "What news from Sara and my son?"

"They've both agreed. Though Pip was... unhappy." Katrine shrugged apologetically.

"That sounds like him." Jasper waved a hand in a defeated fashion. "We'll need to secure new lodging with all speed..." He looked up to Katrine. "Could you spare us any coin, ser, that we might not starve in the meantime?"

"Unfortunately..." She paused for a moment. "Wait a second. I can give you a room at the Inn. It's not much, but there's two beds. You could have your meals on my tab there." She pointed toward the Inn. "I can get another room. Just talk to Asalam when you get inside, tell him the Arisen allowed it." She fished into her pocket and retrieved her room key. "You'll need this, as well."

Jasper smiled thankfully as he took the key from her, slipping a finger through the loop so he wouldn't drop it. "Thank you, ser. Well, as my family consents and expenses are covered." He gave the key a little spin on his finger. "I've no cause to gainsay the decision." He glanced off toward the residential area. "Fie on Fournival for this. Someday he'll face the Maker and be made to stand for a host of ills." He shook his head and looked back to Katrine. "He can purchase the land we trod, but I'll be hung and damned afore I give him favor after this, even if it is for soldiers."

Katrine gave him an apologetic smile and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Jasper. Perhaps some good will come of this in the end."

The man simply nodded and turned away, mentioning he'd have to go find his wife and Pip. Katrine took that as her chance to venture back up to the Noble Quarter and find Fournival, who wasn't hard to locate standing outside of his home in his bright yellow robes, the sun shining off of the top of his head. "Well, I've news!"

He turned toward her with a curious look. "What news, Arisen?"

"They're leaving. It's done."

"They agreed to leave? Wonderful!" He crossed his arms, a bright smile on his face. "Requesting your aid was indeed the proper course; now the land may be sold without delay. The soldiers will get their weapons after all." He began to fish into his pocket for something. "You have done me a great service this day. I pray this is but the beginning of a long and prosperous partnership 'tween you and I." He reached out and placed a surprisingly heavy bag into Katrine's hand. "This is for handling the situation so quickly."

She took the bag after giving him a curious look, then drew open the drawstring to find it was full of coins! "Didn't you say you needed this to pay for the weapons?"

He reached out and gently placed his hand upon hers. "Keep it. I will make more than enough to supply a whole... what's it called, Regiment? Of soldiers with the proceeds for the sale of the land. I'm sure they took some price for you in exchange for agreeing to leave, allow that to cover your expenses, with extra for resolving the situation so soon."

It was more coin than she'd ever seen in her life, and he was treating it like the simplest of gifts... At least she wouldn't have to worry about sleeping on the streets. "I... thank you. I don't know what to say."

He smiled and waved her off with a hand before she turned inside. "Think nothing of it, my dear."

Katrine glanced back toward her Pawns, who simply shrugged, then turned back to head toward the Markets. She'd need to count this and see about getting a new room... hopefully they still had openings.

As she walked down into the darkened pathway toward the Market, a man stepped out from behind one of the Braziers... Mason, the man she'd seen before. "Hail, friend." He held up a hand, stopping Katrine from continuing.

"Uh, good to see you? Mason, right?"

He nodded. "Aye. Been some time."

She frowned a little bit. "A ... few days, yes."

"Trust you've been well?" He glanced her over and at the sight of her equipment with a grin.

"I've seen better days." She still wasn't sure what he wanted, but figured he wasn't the type of man to simply... ask.

"Come, if you'd wanted idle twittering, you'd have sought a prettier bird than this old crow." He tapped his nose and gestured for her to follow him, away from the guards.

Slightly confused, she followed, her Pawns behind. "Didn't you approach me?"

He held up a hand to his lips and mouthed 'follow along' to her. "Crows bring tidings, most oft grim. Me, I bring you work. Still grim, I'm afraid." He glanced behind and once they were out of earshot, he pulled her into a corner to speak quietly. "Well?"

"I'm confused, but... listening." She had to crouch down slightly so she could talk to him at the volume he seemed to want.

"Salvation, naturally." He nodded as she just continued to stare at him. "Can't speak too loud around the guard. They're among them." He held up a hand to cover his mouth. "There's word they've a man inside the castle. If that be true, he'll have need to leave the castle eventually, to meet with the others. All I ask is that you keep watch. If you see someone leaving the castle at night when it's supposed to be closed to all, shadow them."

"What about the guard? Wouldn't they leave?"

He shook his head and grinned. "That be the beauty of it. The guards for the Demense have a Barrack inside it. No one comes and goes without a nefarious purpose."

"What about this?" She gestured to her armor that wouldn't protect her from a rock, let alone a sword.

"I only have need of your eyes. Should you do this right, they'll never know you're there. Follow them and see what business has them out. I'll do the rest. Skulking about is more my line than yours, I know, but pray, lay your chivalry aside this once."

Her lips drew down but she nodded. She'd never done this type of clandestine work before, but she supposed being Arisen took many skills.

"Good. I'd do it myself, but there's aught has me away from Gran Soren for a time. Nothing for it, I fear. Tell your findings to Arsmith." He hooked a finger back down toward the Market. "We have an arrangement..." He smirked at Katrine. "Treat carefully, friend, and quietly, what's more. We know they leave once a night, and we doubt they know who you are just yet, but I'd hide while you scout for them all the same, aye?"

Katrine nodded, and Mason patted her on the shoulder. "Good girl. I'll away now, laugh at something I said."

He turned away, laughing and clutching at his stomach, Katrine doing her best to mimic him like he'd just told the funniest joke. It was somewhat ruined by the Pawns standing like stones at her side, but she supposed their was nothing for it. She waited a few minutes, giving Mason time to disappear, before she started off down toward the Inn, motioning for her Pawns to follow. "Come, we've some time to kill before nightfall."


	11. Skulking Goblins

Later that evening Katrine and Pawns arrived up in the Noble District, passing a guard or two on the way. They weren't exactly inconspicuous with the four of them, but ordering them to stay behind at the Inn had been met with blank stares. She stole as close to the castle gates as she dared while staying out of sight and settled down within a bush to wait. The square outside of the Duke's castle was almost entirely deserted save for the occasional patrolling guard with their lanterns, meaning the long watch through the night progressed slowly.

About two hours in, Katrine observed someone else skulking through the shadows toward the castle, though on the opposite side of where she was currently hiding, watching the gate. A figure in long black robes made their way into the Noble Quarter, sneaking past the guards, then vanished into the underbrush of the small park across the square, near the large church. Try as she might, Katrine couldn't spot them again and they never reappeared, leaving her thinking she may have missed her contact entirely though she didn't dare leave her hiding place for now.

However, four or so hours into their vigil they observed a man in black armor and a mask emerging from the castle, the armor unlike anything Katrine had ever seen. Black as night with gold highlights, a long, flowing blue cape and a black shield with a large mace carried for armaments. He stole through the guardhouse and out of the castle gate before venturing off to the side and around the corner toward where the figure from before had vanished. She turned to her Pawns and raised her finger to her lips for silence before she crept out of her hiding place after checking for guards, following the armored man to his clandestine rendezvous. She leaned around the corner, a hand on the bricks and stone of the castle for support, able to see the black-armored man and the figure in robes meeting.

Katrine couldn't hear any words being exchanged between them but she did see something change hands, some kind of package of something she didn't recognize. They stood together for a few moments longer, talking, but Katrine didn't dare get any closer. The two of them parted ways and she had to recoil back behind the wall as the man in armor turned back her way. She pressed herself flat and motioned for her Pawns to hide as best as they were able, only to find they weren't there at all. She looked around with a panicked glance and finally spotted them back across the way she'd come from and released a sigh when she realized they weren't stirring up trouble in a delicate situation. A few moments later and the black-armored man passed her, the Arisen holding her breath as he walked, trying to look for any other details. All she could tell was blonde hair and definitely male, judging by his chin and the way he carried himself as he moved.

There was another mild moment of panic as he passed where her Pawns were hiding, but they were hidden well enough in the dark that he didn't so much as glance their way as he headed for the gate down toward the fields. He looked behind himself one last time before he slipped through with a quiet creak of metal, leaving the door hanging slightly ajar. Katrine scurried across after him as he passed out of sight, not wanting to lose him in the dark of the city. Her Pawns joined her as she crept up to the gate and peered through, just spotting golden hair disappearing out of sight.

"A knight of the Duke's court in league with Salvation?", Scellia whispered as she too looked through the bars. She glanced to Katrine and gave a single nod. "We best follow, Master."

Katrine nodded as well and slipped through the gate, though it turned out that only Hiei could follow, Scellia's armor and Tyri's robes and staff would never fit through the opening the man had left, and they dared not risk opening it further and alerting him with a metal creak. "Head back to the Inn and wait for us there.", Katrine hissed, holding up a hand to stifle any retort. "You can't follow. Go!" She gestured off back the way they'd come, and for once the two Pawns listened to an instruction that would separate them from their Arisen. Finally, she turned to Hiei and jerked a thumb toward herself. "We go."

She slipped into the stairwell down to the fields and leaned over the edge of the steps, which went to a landing and then to a further set of stairs below. She could see him walking down the last few steps, then gestured for Hiei to follow as she quietly slipped down the steps as quickly as she dared. By the time her creeping had her at the bottom of the stairs the man had already stepped through the door at the bottom, and unlike the door at the top, he didn't leave this one open enough to easily squeeze through. Katrine had to pass her daggers to Hiei and then he her bow in order for them to slip between the wooden doors, and by the time they'd completed this the man had already vanished.

Panic rose into Katrine's throat as she headed the only way she could imagine him going, as she didn't see him heading further out into the fields on a quick glance and dashed to the corner that lead to the Market, where they'd come through when looking for the Pawn's guild. She was able to take a breath when she spotted him further down the alleyway, meaning she could still follow him. However, the streets here were more active at night than those of the Noble District, meaning they'd have to keep much closer not to lose him. Thankfully Katrine was tall, and their quarry was reasonably tall as well, meaning he could be spotted over most of the minimal night crowd. She took Hiei's hand and tugged him forward so he wouldn't get separated. "Stick close to me, I can see him."

"Of course, Arisen."

Katrine tried to look as normal as she could while keeping their objective in sight, walking along as they passed the Blacksmith and then the Inn where she spotted Scellia and Tyri waiting inside. She motioned for them to stay and was relieved when they didn't move, as she could turn her attention back to the man they were following. He soon ventured deeper into the residences, down a staircase to a lower level Katrine hadn't actually seen yet and across what looked like some kind of Aqueduct, but judging by the smell it was more like a sewer. She momentarily lost sight of their quarry as he ventured around a corner, but she only just managed to spot him as he finally entered into some kind of building. She had to suck in her breath and press herself and Hiei flat against the wall as he turned around as he reached the door, making sure he hadn't been followed, and she only just peeked around the corner to spot him taking off his mask and opening the door to disappear inside.

Pawn and Arisen slipped to one of the windows, Katrine lowering herself to the ground so her head and ears wouldn't poke up over the ledge as she listened inside. She could hear some kind of woman humming or singing to herself, but little else save for the rustle of cloth and metal as the man moved about. She heard some sort of murmur from the man before the woman inside giggled.

"Just what is this scrap to you?"

Katrine heard a rustle and an 'oh!', followed by another laugh.

"Loose those lips and likely I'll repay in kind.", the woman spoke again with a sultry sort of chuckle, Katrine able to hear the two of them moving away from the window. She risked popping up long enough to try to spot who the woman was, only sighting long blonde hair and some kind of yellow dress before she dipped back down, glancing to Hiei to make sure he could hear everything too. When her Pawn nodded, she turned her ears back to what was happening inside.

She heard a gasp and a disappointed sigh before boots trod back closer to the window. She sucked in her breath and pressed as close to the wall as she could then looked up to see metal-clad fingers resting on the windowsill. There was a quiet 'hm' before the hands above drew the window closed and Katrine heard a different kind of metallic rustle that she definitely recognized- coins in a pouch.

She finally heard the man speak, a very thick accent she didn't recognize. "Good work." Then the boots moved away from the window while she could hear the sound of metal coins being jostled, the woman breathed an 'oh!' and the sound got louder like he'd thrown the coin purse at her. The boots moved away and Katrine slipped to another window so she could keep the pair inside in earshot, hearing lighter boots, likely the woman's, moving across the floor. There was silence for a moment, followed by "Anything else I might work on for you?" in a decidedly sultry tone.

There was a sound like someone being shoved or pushed aside, and Katrine could hear the man speak once more, "I bid you good day.", in a decidedly final tone. The two separated and Katrine scrambled away from the windows as the man walked outside once more. He placed the mask back upon his face and strode past them as they hid around the corner, his pace much faster than he'd arrived, though he was carrying something in his fist as he went.

"We should tell Arsmith what we've seen.", spoke Hiei once the man was finally out of earshot and Katrine nodded her agreement with him.

They soon headed back up to the Market, taking a different path than the one the masked man had taken back to the Noble Quarter, not wanting to accidentally run into him as they went. They arrived at the Alehouse in short order to find the keeper standing just inside. He smiled and gave the pair a nod as they entered. "Ah, it's you. Our mutual friend told me to expect you. If you've a message, I could relay it."

Katrine quickly went over what she'd seen and the man put his hand to his chin as he listened to what she'd had to say, her description of who he'd met with and what little information she'd managed to get about what they'd exchanged between them.

He nodded as she finished, lowering his hand back down near his waist. "The knight, then, is it? Fine then, I'll pass the word along."

Katrine nodded and stepped away, motioning for Hiei to join her as she did. "We did as asked... now we retire for the night. I'm exhausted."

"Sounds like a plan, Arisen."

Katrine retired for the night, her Pawns nearby to keep watch. She tossed and turned that night, dreaming of things she didn't remember in the morning, though she had the distant impression of some kind of... force pulling her ever onward. When she woke she was covered in sweat and not just because it was a hot and humid morning in Gran Soren. The feeling of that force, the same on that had driven her during the fight with the Cyclops and that had pushed her to kill the bandits, left her feeling shaken and small in a way she didn't entirely comprehend. She was distinctly getting the feeling that there were things much larger than her at work.

While Katrine was down in the Inn eating breakfast she received a visitor, a messenger from the nearby armorer, Caxton. Apparently, he'd finished the gear they'd requested in record time and wanted to bring everyone in for a fitting. She slapped her forehead as she remembered the daggers still packed away in her bags that she hadn't told him about yet, sending the messenger back with the news that she'd be over shortly. She ate as quickly as she could and gathered her company to make the short trip over to the Blacksmith, where they were instructed to come around the corner and enter the building itself, rather than hang around the storefront that opened to the street.

Inside it smelled of soot and smoke and metal, the entire building covered in a thin layer of the stuff, lending everything a shade of grey. Caxton himself was shorter than Katrine had thought he'd be, though she immediately wondered why he would've been taller. He wore a very sturdy looking leather vest with brown pants beneath, complete with boots that looked scorched and burned in places. "So you're the Arisen come to save us all from the dragon? I expected more."

Katrine frowned and put her hands on her hips, staring down at the man. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm not enough."

He chuckled quietly as he moved around her, startling her for a moment as he simply set about taking some last-minute measurements, likely to confirm that what he'd done was correct. He seemed satisfied as he stood back up, looking her up and down. "I never said you weren't enough. So, I'll need you to get out of that old tatters, not even sure why you put it on to come here this morning."

"Well I wasn't expecting things to be ready and it never hurts to be prepared," Katrine spoke as she quickly stripped out of her armor, some of it almost ready to fall apart of its own volition as she did.

"Mm, perhaps. Try these on for size." He passed her a vest made of some kind of very sturdy looking leather, complete with a metal covering over the front of it that was thin and segmented to stay light and allow for movement. He also passed along a pair of pants, as well as boots. The pants were made of a type of cloth she'd never seen before that looked almost as if they could stand on their own, and the boots were thick and padded and sturdy.

"Do you have somewhere I can change?" She certainly wasn't about to strip out in the open.

He gestured off to the back of the room behind a curtain with a 'mm', already fitting her Pawns in their gear as well.

By the time Katrine managed to return with her new kit, the three of them had gotten changed just like that. Hiei now wore a set of armor much like her own, Tyri wore a brand new robe that fit her well, and Scellia was currently being helped into a very sturdy looking suit of metal armor. Katrine hurried over as well as she could- her new pants were very stiff- and helped get her Pawn into the rest of her armor. "That's what we call 'Gryphic' armor, after the Griffins that we've seen around the city." It was definitely avian in design, the helmet even having a short covering over the back of the neck that looked like feathers. "And what you're wearing", he gestured to Katrine and Hiei, "Is actually made of dragon leather."

She glanced down at herself in shock, running her finger over the leather that covered her. "Dragon leather! That sounds horrifically expensive."

"Well, it is. You've set the crown back a pretty penny with this. Had to reach into stocks I haven't touched in years. But the Duke ordered the best for the Arisen and the best is what I gave. You'll be well set for anything you come across in this, and I'd daresay it ironic for you to slay the dragon wearing armor made of his kin. Speaking of-" He turned behind himself and reached for a pair of longbows and a stave. "You two need these, and you need this." He passed all the equipment along, then handed Scellia a brand new sword and shield. The shield bore the crest of Gransys that Katrine had seen on the guards' armor, though the sword was one she'd never seen before. "That's what we call a Cinquedea. Imported design from Hearthstone and very good on the thrust, very light and nimble but deceptively strong. Good for use with a shield."

He turned to Katrine then and put his hands on his hips. "And for you-"

Katrine held out her hands. "Wait! I found something when we went to meet the Dragonforged. I thought you'd want to look at them." She quickly pulled the daggers in their metal sheath from her pack, passing them over to Caxton for him to examine.

"Oh yeah?" He pulled one free of its sheath, exposing the blade to the dim air of his Blacksmithing shop. "What in the world?" He carefully lifted the blade in his hand, placing its twin and sheath down onto the table behind him. "I've never seen blades of this make. See the pattern, here?" He pointed to the runes or lines that ran through the blades. "You get this by folding the metal over and over. I haven't seen metal worked like this save for what's gotten out of old ruins, no one knows how to do this. Where did you find these?"

Katrine smirked and gave a little shrug, not wanting to reveal the exact location to protect the Dragonforged and his home from any other relic hunters. "An old ruin. Are they worth using?"

"Worth using!?" He laughed at that, then turned the blade to his arm. Katrine thought for a moment he was about to cut himself, but instead, he shaved the hair from his arm. "Do you see that? And I can't imagine they've touched a grindstone in hundreds of years. Blades like these are magically tempered against age and harm." He slipped the blade back into its sheath and returned both of them to Katrine. "I've nothing to offer you that could even hope to match what you've got there. The leather on the handles seems solid, it'll serve you well."

Katrine nodded and slipped her old daggers from around her waist, handing them to the blacksmith before she wrapped her new pair around herself. "Well? How do we look? Will all this help us fight the dragon?"

Caxton chuckled again. "You look fine. But no weapon can make you a match for the dragon." He leaned closer and tapped a finger against her chest. "Temper yourself. Once you're fit to best the wyrm, your weapon will rise to the task." He gestured to her new daggers. "Especially those."

He looked to the Pawns after and grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked over his handiwork. "They're masterworks all, you can't go wrong with what I've given you." He nodded once, then turned back to Katrine. "I believe my work here is done. I'll send the bill to the Duke. I understand you're working it off in service to the crown?"

Katrine nodded a few times as she made her way to the door, her new armor heavier than the leather she'd worn before but certainly more study. "We are, yes."

Caxton stopped short and held up a hand before he turned back to the room and vanished out of sight for a moment, only to reappear carrying a helmet. "Almost forgot." He handed it to Katrine, quickly showing her what it was. "These are a traditional leather helmet here in Gransys. There's a mask you can pull up if you want to hide your face or protect from storms and wind, flaps you can pull down to cover the ears in the cold." He rapped his knuckles on the top as well, revealing a metallic plate inside by the noise it made. "And reinforced to protect against rocks, sticks, cudgels, whatever might come your way."

"What are these pants made of?" Katrine finally asked, lifting a leg and listening to them creak. They almost felt like they were covered in wax, and they were quite heavy.

"Oh, those?" He grinned. "Glad you asked. We call them 'tin pants'." When Katrine raised a brow in confusion, he continued. "They're normal sturdy cloth pants but soaked in and treated with wax. Makes them much stronger and much more resistant. Won't get wet, harder to set on fire, more insulated against cold and heat. And they can turn away an errant blade in the right conditions. They'll loosen up as you wear them more." He offered her the helmet once more.

Katrine took the offered helmet with a grin, slipping it over her head and noting that it even hid her ears well. "Excellent work, Caxton. We'll have to start paying this off right away to earn everything back before we die of old age."

He just grinned and gave the Arisen a sarcastic salute. "Give the guard my best."

With that, the quartet headed back off up toward the castle... Maybe Maximilian would give them real work now that they were appropriately equipped for it.

The trip up to the Noble District was relatively quick, though the stiffness of the pants would take getting used to... maybe Maximilian would give them something far away so she could break them in. They found him standing near the gate where he'd been last time, perhaps this was his post that he kept.

As the band approached, he held up a hand toward them. "Well met, Ser Arisen and company."

"Good morning, Ser Maximilian. As you can see, we have been to see the Blacksmith." She held out her hands around herself to show off her and her Pawns' new equipment. "Are we suitable to be dispatched on further work for the crown?"

He gave a nod and smiled. "I would be honored to show you the ready charges for the Wyrm Hunt. Here's what we still have available." He lifted up a list from a pouch on his belt and cleared his throat. "Rout a monster infestation, aid a research team, or investigate a cult."

Katrine glanced around at her Pawns, who simply shrugged if they reacted at all, then turned back to Maximilian. "The first one. That sounds a bit more urgent than the others."

He nodded, then reached into his pouch and handed her another scroll. "Certainly. Then here are the details..." He took a breath before continuing. "We have urgent word from the Stone of the Southwest. A horde of goblins struck the fortress while it was still under repair, and they've claimed it. Though the hold is remote, its importance to our southern defenses is critical. We must reclaim it, and soon. The safety of the entire duchy rides on this matter. I would ask your help in resolving it."

Katrine's mouth fell open for a moment before she could gather her thoughts. "Well if this is so important why didn't you tell me about it right away? Of course, we'll go!"

"I can only offer tasks, I am not to tell you what to do, on the Duke's orders. The Arisen is free to do as she chooses. You have my thanks for taking this on first though, ser. I shall send word to the hold presently with our fastest messenger. I've sent some of the duke's swords on ahead already. Meet them near the hold and lend them your arm. They've been instructed not to attack the fortress until you arrive."

Katrine nodded. "And this is a map?" She unraveled the scroll he'd given her, revealing the answer to her question as a hand-drawn map with instructions of how to reach the fort.

"Indeed. I await good word of your success. There's a tunnel through the mountains between the Capital and the hold, if you take that route then it will save you precious time." Maximilian saluted and Katrine took that as her sign to head out, waving her hand and pointing back down toward the way they'd come.

"Onward, Pawns. We've a fortress to save."


	12. Tunneling Ogres

Leaving Gran Soren yet again with her Pawns in tow, Katrine couldn't help but feel as if she was starting to become part of something bigger than herself. She'd obviously already been a part of it, being made into the Arisen by the Dragon, but until now she hadn't actually felt like she was a part. She was starting to become someone important. Entrusted by the Duke to help defend his lands, working with Mason against Salvation, leading her pack of Pawns, wearing actual armor made of dragonleather, even... It made her feel like for once in her life she was actually accomplishing something she set out to do.

Lost in her thoughts, Katrine was letting the Pawns lead her along and not paying too much attention to the road... That is until one of the Pawns began to shout.

"A Griffin! It comes!"

Katrine spun, looking for the Griffin, expecting to find something like a bird or a harpy... she was not at all ready for what came screaming, screeching down out of the sky toward her. The thing was massive, the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, wings outstretched as what looked very much like lightning crackled underneath. Katrine dove out of the way as the thing's claws raked the ground just feet away from her, the lightning, for it was actually lightning, under its wings sending sparks and tremors through the earth as it struck underneath as the Griffin passed. Katrine stood, her hair standing on end from static and turned to face the massive creature, already turning in the air to come back for another pass.

The Arisen unstrung her bow as Hiei did the same, Scellia took up a position before them and Tyri began to charge her spells. When the Griffin completed its wide, banking turn and came back around they were somewhat ready for it, Katrine and Hiei pelting it with arrows, though few found their mark against the winds and lightning buffeting around the creature.

"It cannot fly if the wings are alight!" Cried Tyri as she unleashed a fire spell toward the Griffin, though it rolled to the side and avoided the hastily shot spell, coming out of its roll just above the group, more lightning striking the ground around them as it whooshed by just overhead, scorching the metal of Katrine's breastplate and sending her hair standing on end where it wasn't covered by her helmet. Scellia let out a cry of pain as she took the brunt of the electrical blast, her metallic armor turning her into a lightning rod as she crashed to the ground, writhing as electricity coursed through her.

"Take my fire!", cried Tyri, sending out balls of light to the group and Katrine gasped her daggers and bow lit up a glowing orange.

"What did you do!"

"Fire at the Griffin, Arisen! We will take care of Scellia." Tyri and Hiei rushed to their stricken friend's side as the griffin turned for another pass and Katrine took hold of her bow once more.

She took careful aim and waited until the Griffin began to approach for another pass, sending arrows up toward it as quickly as she could. This time it was the Griffin's turn to screech, though this time in pain rather than anger, wings and down along it's back bursting into flames as one of her enchanted arrows found purchase in the beast's flanks. It quickly banked and aborted it's the newest attack, the lightning under its wings sputtering out as the thing turned off to the west. Katrine fired several more arrows, but as the Griffin winged away from them all it left behind was a slight smoke trail in the sky and the ghastly stench of burning feathers. With the Griffin driven off, Katrine rushed to the side of her Pawn, though Hiei and Tyri were already helping Scellia up off of the ground.

Katrine made sure that her companion was alright, then once they were certain the Griffin was driven off and wasn't coming back for round two, they set off again toward the tunnel Ser Maximilian had mentioned. It was a relatively quiet journey aside from the customary packs of Goblins that seemed to have overtaken most of Gransys, but if they'd managed to take a fort then that might explain their presence so far and wide through the country. It was perhaps another hour or so before they finally arrived, large blocks of white stone announcing their arrival. As her Pawns had explained in their customary way of spouting random bits of information as they traveled, she'd learned that the 'tunnel' was actually an old mineshaft that happened to come out on the other side of the mountain range and had been repurposed as a way for travelers to cut down on travel time.

The old mining village in front of it had been long abandoned, however, the only sounds coming from within those of spiders and other insects eating away at the rotting wood of the semi-collapsed homes. They passed through in short order and it was only another few minutes' walk until they found the tunnel they were searching for, though it seemed to be closed, judging by the few merchants Katrine could see milling about near the entrance. "Hello there, what's happened here?"

"Ah, hello..." One of the men gathered around outside stepped up as they approached, carrying a large bag of supplies on his back. "As you can like tell from the look of me, I'm at my wit's end." He certainly did look bedraggled, an old frock on his chest and a hood over his head to keep out the rain.

"What seems to be the problem?" Katrine stepped up closer to him and put her hands on her hips, waiting for the man to continue.

"I've need to travel south through this mine, but the accursed gate won't budge. Despite the dangers, I came this way hoping to shorten my journey... Some shortcut, eh?" He shook his head and extended his hand out toward her. "Name's Alon."

Katrine took his hand and gave it a shake, then looked back to the mine as well. "We have need to travel through here too. We're on the way to the Shadow Fort ourselves."

He shrugged. " 'Tis a fine waste of time if they gate cannot be lowered."

Katrine tilted her head to one side. "Lowered? What do you mean?" She glanced back at the mine entrance, it looked like a fairly normal door to her, nothing to be lowered about it.

"There's a gate further inside the mine that's locked somehow."

"Ah!" Katrine turned back to him and gave him a nod. "Well, we've need to be through here ourselves so we'll get it back open for you, won't we?" She turned back to look at her Pawns.

Around that time Tyri decided to pipe up. "Tis a passage that connects south and central Gransys."

The Arisen pursed her lips slightly and turned back to Alon, who just chuckled. "Pawns, eh?"

"Pawns. Well, we'll get that gate open for you."

"D'you mean that? You'll actually see it opened? Aye, 'twould be a most welcome boon." He hesitated for a moment. "But are you so certain you can make it so? You do seem a strong enough sort, I'll warrant..."

Katrine nodded. "We'll certainly do the best we can for you. If we can't make progress then we'll come let you know." Katrine gestured for her Pawns, then, and the four of them ventured off into the mines proper and through the doorway to see what they could do.

Upon first entry, Katrine's first impression was of dark and damp, like this area hadn't seen much use at all in recent years, though she could see some crates and other detritus discarded around the entrance that appeared to be relatively recent, so someone had been through here. She pulled a lantern out of her pack as her Pawns did the same, making sure that everyone had a supply of oil, they'd made sure to stock up on necessary supplies back in town while they were waiting for nightfall the night before. The room they were in lit up before them, exposing more rock walls, some old, mined-out places that had likely contained ore deposits, as well as more quarried rocks, some of which hadn't been moved from where they'd been carved out of the stone.

They traveled further in, making slow progress and going carefully, until her Pawns drew her attention to a rock wall just taller than her head. "This way, Arisen."

Curious, but willing to follow them, Katrine clambered up after her Pawns, revealing another passage leading off into the dark. They scrambled ahead of her, though she could hear her calling back. "I see a gate! Closed fast."

Katrine hurried ahead, as quickly as she could while keeping her footing on the uneven floor before her, to find her Pawns standing around some kind of dias on the floor. Scellia put a foot upon it and it moved slightly. "It seems the panel responds to weight, Master."

The elf shrugged and stepped forward, her Pawns joining her as she did. With creaking of ancient joints and what was most certainly metal somewhere below them, the whole of the panel began to drop into the ground, rumbling beneath them. "Who on earth puts a mechanism like this into a mine?"

Her question was met with blank stares and silence from her Pawns, and their impromptu ride downward on the panel ended after a minute or two of very loud grinding. Katrine stepped off, half expecting it to begin rising again, but no such thing happened. The gate before them lurched downward after another couple of moments with a loud snap, perhaps suggesting something in the mechanism had broken. They quickly moved into the room but found little of interest, save for a very old looking key resting on another one of those quarried blocks. "Why's this in here?" Katrine muttered to herself as she picked it up and pocketed it, assuming it would be useful for something, or at the very least she could take it back to Gran Soren and perhaps give it to the scholar to study. You never knew with these old artifacts.

They cleared out the room, there wasn't much to find, then turned back down the path they'd come and dropped down the little wall to continue onward. However, Katrine's ears picked up something ahead and she motioned for them to be quiet, the elf slinking forward and shuttering her lantern to hide the light. Around the bend, there was more light coming from ahead, as well as the soft crackles of a flame... Someone had definitely been here before. She snuck up to the corner and leaned against the stone, listening for anything that might give away who was here, and once she grew accustomed to the flames and could tune them out somewhat, she could hear whispering from ahead.

"Sounded like someone opening that old door. We put that key in there because of the ogre, remember? Didn't want anyone heading ahead and pissing it off."

"Yeah, probably some lost traveler. We'll go have a", the male's voice chuckled. "Talk with them, won't we?"

The second male laughed and said something that Katrine couldn't make out, but the two figures soon enough wandered past her hiding spot. She crept out behind the two bandits and pulled free her blades, the first time they'd really be tested against something that wasn't goblin hide. She slipped her dagger into the side of the one to her left, almost shocked at how easy it was for her to take another life, and before the second could react she'd plunged her other blade into his neck from behind, the two of them slumping to the ground. The first man twitched in pain and shock, his kidney pierced through, the pain enough to close his throat and prevent a scream... She wasn't sure how she knew that; all this 'Arisen knowledge' was still new to her, though she soon ended his suffering with a blade to the neck.

Katrine slipped back to her Pawns and held up a finger to her lips, motioning for them to come forward. "Bandits, ahead. They hid the key to keep an ogre trapped, I guess they moved in after it did."

The three of them nodded and the four walked together up to see what else was going on, but unfortunately for them, someone had come to see where the other two were gone, and he shouted an alarm before Katrine could silence him. "Armed rogues!" cried Hiei, and the four met the many in the stifling mines.

One of the bandits carried some kind of maul or large hammer, and this one ran ahead of the rest, several more of them came pouring out of a side passage, shouting the alarm and calling for more. There didn't appear to be a massive number, ten in all not counting the two they'd already dispatched, but ten was more than enough to give Katrine and her Pawns trouble. Scellia surged ahead and blocked the man's hammer with her shield, turning it away and letting the large head slam into the stone, sending chips skittering across the ground. "They're left exposed after a grand strike!", called the Pawn, and she ended him with a sword thrust to his chest.

Their new equipment served them well, and with Pawns at her side, their organization soon proved to be doom for the bandits. The final one fell as Hiei lept upon him from behind, allowing Scellia to deal with him with several quick strokes of her sword. The room stank of blood, but at least silence once more prevailed in the dark.

Katrine gestured for the Scellia and Hiei to follow her, leaving Tyri behind to sort through their belongings and see if there would be anything of use among the corpses. The side room proved to be where the bandits had been calling home within the mines, plenty of provisions and other items, likely taken from merchants just like Alon outside who'd attempted to pass through the mine recently, along with several large stacks and sacks of gold coins. Katrine doled the load out between her Pawns... they might actually have to find a bank within Gran Soren, or maybe she could pay off some of her debt to the Duke with all this.

They returned back to the mine proper to find Tyri stacking the bodies, though thankfully she wasn't trying to burn them. She'd set aside anything useful, a few more coins, some healing droughts, some herbs, nothing too substantial. With this part of the mine secured they moved on, traveling further within the dark and the deep. Ahead, the mine opened up slightly, though they could hear something... unsettling coming from the rooms further on, a deep grunting and crunching, cracking sound. Katrine crept forward and peered around the corner, finally able to see what the bandits had done to get rid of the bodies of the merchants they'd killed... The ogre they'd mentioned was ahead, the cracking being the bones of those it was currently eating. The air was stale and thick with the scent of rot and corpses, not helped by the natural stench of the ogre itself.

Katrine bit her lip, remembering the last time they faced one of these only days before, though this time they were more experienced and much better equipped than they'd been then... Tyri stepped out from the wall behind her, pointing at the Ogre with her staff raised. "The sight of women excites it!"

Katrine slapped a hand to her face as the Ogre roared, groaning nice and loud. "Pawns." She slipped out from her hiding place to find the Ogre already on the way, she slid to the side on a knee, finding that her pants were actually quite protective versus the ground underneath, her arm outstretched with her blade drawn. Contrary to what happened last time she tried, this time her new weapons found purchase, biting into and cutting through the thick mats of hair to find flesh and muscle underneath. She actually grinned at that, realizing that they had a much better chance against this one than the last, which was good as she hadn't spotted any convenient ravines to get rid of this one!

Scellia stood before it, slapping the flat of her blade against her new shield, setting up a cacophony that drew the beast's attention. As it swung she redirected it's attacks, sending them off her shield to either side, stabbing where she could with her blade. Tyri kept up a barrage of flames at the beast, sending its hair smoking and actually in flame in others while Katrine snuck around the back. When it stood still for more than a few moments she lept upon it like she had the Cyclops so long ago, her daggers digging in being a most satisfying feeling.

With their new equipment and knowledge of how to defeat the Ogre, the thing fell inside of a few minutes with a mournful wail, leaving Katrine and her Pawns to rest, their hands on their knees and breathing hard, made somewhat difficult by the fact the air was thick and stagnant here. After a minute or so of rest, they stood back up, Katrine giving her Pawns knowing and thankful smiles... Being able to fell the Ogre, despite it still being a difficult battle, just proved to her that they'd made plenty of progress, even in just a few short days. New weapons, equipment, armor... She actually felt like they had a fighting chance.

Up ahead, deeper in the tunnel, was another of the gates with the plate in front of it. Katrine and her Pawns climbed up onto it and waited for it to come down, the air beyond smelling much better than it had in the rank room with the Ogre and now the Ogre's corpse. The gate sank down with the same loud noise as the last one, lurching into place... Though with it came a sound that Katrine most certainly hadn't wanted to hear. The sounds of a goblin's horn, as well as another Ogre yell... Followed by another. She turned to her Pawns, already able to feel her face turning white. "Shit."

They quickly retreated back into the main room they'd come from, despite the smell, Katrine and Hiei both drawing their bows. First through the gate came Goblins, skittering and dancing in their strange way, only to meet a hail of arrows from the two, cutting them down. Scellia remained behind, letting them draw out the foes away from the gate, helping to limit what they'd have to fight at once. Tyri saved her strength for when the Ogres came... they didn't have to wait long.

The Goblins parted as the Ogres emerged, both of them already flushed red from the sound of the Ogre dying, hooting and jumping up and down when they saw the corpse with the Arisen and Pawns standing before it in front of them. Katrine launched one last arrow, felling one of the remaining goblins as Hiei drew back behind her and Scellia stepped forward. There was an awkward pause, deep in the mines, as the two sides faced one another, two angry Ogres and several Goblins standing among other Goblin corpses, the Arisen and Pawns standing in front of one foe they'd already defeated.

The two Ogres charged almost in unison, forcing the group to split, Scellia and Hiei dodging one direction while Katrine and Tyri went the other, one Ogre to each group as the few remaining Goblins danced forward. Katrine ran between them, cutting at the Ogre's legs and trying to get it to fall, eliminating Goblins where she could. Tyri conjured lightning, striking the Ogre several times and filling the air with the scent of ozone. Katrine's dagger's cut the head clean off of a Goblin, sending the body crashing lifeless to the ground, though she had to dodge the Ogre as it stumbled backward. With it distracted by Tyri's spells, she was able to slip her way beneath, cutting at hair and sinew and flesh, little by little chopping away at its legs. She could hear a cry of pain from someone behind her, though it sounded more like the Ogre than her Pawns.

The Ogre she fought soon stumbled under their onslaught and Katrine moved to use it to her advantage, slicing again and again at the one leg the Ogre seemed to have a stable footing on. With a mighty slice and a kick, she felt it recoil and howl, the Ogre crashing over onto its back. She lept upon it before it could attempt to rise, stabbing her daggers into its face and neck until the Ogre moved no more, splattering herself with blood and gore. She didn't give herself the time to wipe off her face, instead turning to the other Ogre and the one remaining Goblin, the others cut down or pierced with arrows.

Scellia dove between the Ogre's legs as it brought down both hands in a strike that surely would have crushed her, and as it turned to chase her down Katrine arrived, putting into play her favorite tactic so far of leaping up onto a foe's back. Her daggers bit deep as she started to climb, her head spinning with fatigue and the horrible air this deep in the mines, certainly not helped by the now many dead Goblins and dead and dying Ogres. She didn't notice the huge arm sweeping back at her until it was too late to react, crying out in pain as the Ogre's hand wrapped around her middle, pressing the metal-reinforced leather against her chest and making breathing hard. She was lifted up and over its head until she was face to face with the beast... If she'd thought the air down here was bad it was nothing like the Ogre's breath.

The thing stared at her, ignoring the Pawns for now, then licked its lips. Now most certainly afraid Katrine let out a scream of alarm and fright as she began to struggle, though that mouth began to loom ever closer, letting her see those blunt, flat teeth good for crushing bone. She could find no purchase to wiggle herself free, her feet kicking fruitlessly in the air, she could feel hot, most breath washing across her face, so rank it was almost making her pass out until a voice rang out and made her look somewhere else.

Scellia cried out, her sword and shield wreathed in Tyri's magical flame. "NONE MAY TOUCH THE ARISEN!" She leapt forward, her boots landing on the beast's knee and propelling her upward as she forced herself into the air with a grunt, her sword arm outstretched. Katrine could only watch in amazement as her Pawn seemed to fly through the air for moments far longer than it could have actually been until her sword found its mark. The Ogre let out a scream of pain as Scellia's blade lodged into its jaw and sunk upward into its skull, Scellia hanging from the weapon now lodged within its brain.

The Ogre's arm released Katrine, leaving her to fall in a pained heap on the ground, the creature flailing senselessly until it crashed backward, dead, upon the ground. Katrine could only watch in amazement as Scellia as casually as ever pulled her blade free, not even bothering to wipe it clean on the Ogre's fur as she made her way back toward the elf. "Master! Are you hurt?"

"Uh, no. Not really." Katrine stood and brushed herself off with Tyri and Scellia's help, glad for the chance to catch her breath. She glanced around them, noting that the mine had fallen back to silence. "I think that's got to be everything... If they aren't attacking now after all that I can't imagine they'll accost any merchants. And I need a breath of fresh air."

She motioned for her Pawns forward and they began the long trek back to the entrance of the mines to tell Alon what they'd done.

Soon enough they returned to the midsummer day's air, much to Katrine's relief, and she took some long moments just to breathe, the smell of the Ogres and goblins still thick in the air even as they ventured back out from the mines. She didn't realize why until Alon let out a cry of shock and pointed at her, at which point she remembered she'd never cleaned off her face. She shuddered slightly and had to fight the urge to retch before she took a cloth from Hiei and some water to quickly wipe herself off.

Only once she felt clean and the cloth didn't come away red did she finally approach the merchant who was keeping a healthy distance. "All clear, then?"

Katrine nodded and closed her eyes, still having to calm her stomach. "As clear as we can make it. Several ogres, goblins, bandits. It'll need some serious cleaning out but it's clear now."

"Happy news, that! You are a wonder, ser." He reached forward and took Katrine's hand, pressing another small bag into it as he shook it. "I'll not tarry about, then! With this route once again open, the merchants of the capital will have an easier time bringing in goods from afar. 'Tis a fine thing for sellers and buyers alike, having trade on the rise." He let her hand go and started off toward the mine. "I'll be sure to tell the trading camp on the other side!"

Katrine nodded and looked to her Pawns with a little grin. "I think it's time to stop and rest for lunch before we head back in there. Maybe the air will clear a bit."

The three nodded and Katrine and her loyal companions set up a small meal, mostly small because the Pawns didn't eat, on one of the large stone blocks near the Quarry, letting Katrine relax and rest and eat after their ordeal in the mines.

They didn't rest too long, however, not wanting to keep the fort waiting, and soon after Katrine finished eating they dove back into the mines along the passage they'd cleared. When they found the bandits they saw that Alon must've rooted through them as they had been disturbed, and they even found signs that he'd been through the bodies of the Goblins and Ogres. When they finally arrived on the other side of the mines, however, he was nowhere in sight, meaning he must've long ago moved on to elsewhere.

Katrine consulted her map and turned them Northwest toward the Shadow Fort, their real goal this far out in Gransys. Another trek, this one over what felt like open country rather than a road or path, through even more goblins, soon enough saw them within sight of the large Fort, though the smoke rising from the interior didn't bode well for it's current state. "By the looks of it, 'tis a grand and sturdy fortress."

Katrine smirked a bit and looked at Tyri, who'd spoken. "Not sturdy enough to stand against goblins, I guess."

They soon made their way inside, the outer wall not defended that they could see, pushing through a large wooden door in order to get into the inner courtyard. She could see signs of a battle here, human and goblin corpses alike strewn about every which way. Closer to the large stone stairs and another, much larger gate, she could see some more soldiers with the Gran Soren crest on their shields standing at the base of the fort, having made a small makeshift camp. Katrine held up a hand as they approached, trying to signal that they were friendly, two soldiers who'd noticed and begun to hold up their weapons standing down. One of them even pointed toward a man sitting by the fire who stood up as they got closer.

He called to them as they approached. "Well met, ser! I take you for the Arisen. A messenger arrived not long past stating that you would be on the way, but he hadn't seen you when you set out. Were you delayed?"

"We were, unfortunately. We were told to take the tunnel-"

"The tunnel? Blocked with ogres, how did you escape?" Some of the men moved closer at the news.

"Escape?" Katrine laughed a bit, putting her hands on her hips. "We killed them. Cleared the mines out. How do you think we got here?"

"Surely you jest. The same way the messenger did, the long way." One of the men close to the Captain spoke up though he received a cuff to his shoulder for his troubles.

"No. We cleared the mines and traveled through them to get here."

The Captain turned to one of his men in lighter armor and motioned for him to head off. "Verify this." He turned back to Katrine and her Pawns, looking them over with new insight. "If what you say is true, I would ask you to spearhead our force here. We are not many, so our tactics are as such: We aim to strike from the front gate, the only way into the Fort, but lack the time and means to batter down the doors. I ask that you pass through the hole you see there and open the gate from within." He gestured to a large pit in the ground behind himself. "It is how the Goblins assaulted the fort, but our men cannot pass through." He pointed to Scellia. "She would not fit either, she would have to remain with us and assault the Fort when the gate is open."

He turned back to Katrine and looked her up and down once more. "I cannot say what may await you within. The danger is great, but I trust you will prevail."

Katrine nodded, then turned to Scellia and gave her a nod. "Wait here with the soldiers. When that door opens, you help them, then come find us, understand?"

"As you wish, Arisen."


End file.
